Going to Mobile Beat Las Vegas? Make a plan!

Recently, I presented at, and attended, The Special Event Show 2009 in San Diego. In about 10 days, the Mobile Beat Show will be here, in Las Vegas. For Mobile Beat Las Vegas, I’ll be speaking at three sessions, and also once at a pre-show meeting. The challenge is to be everywhere, without having a clone.

To get the best result, you need to have a plan, AND allow for spontaneity.

Recognize that most conference have multiple components that have different dynamics.

• Keynote & General Sessions - Presentation to the entire conference.
• Seminars - Breakouts - Usually several, smaller, concurrent presentations with more specialized content.
• Tradeshow - Industry providers selling their products and services.
• Bookstore - Selling industry publications, books, CD’s, DVDs (often including presenters from the show).
• Meal functions - Sit down meals, often combined with a general session.
• Planned Social Events - Either on or off-premise, as part of the conference. Sometimes a separate fee is required.
• Sponsor Social Events - Often, a tradeshow participant will have their own hospitality suite or separately hosted party.

Do your advance work! Scrutinize the conference schedule and zero in on sessions that interest you. Research the speaker’s background and try to validate their expertise. Do not make session decisions on-the-fly. You increase your rate of disappointment.

Within the program or the conference roster (if offered) reconnect with people you know, or seek those would like to meet. If you’d like to spend time with a particular speaker or attendee, find their blog or website, and be in touch, in advance. If they use social networking, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, be in touch with them.

People on Twitter often have spontaneous ‘meet-ups’ at a conference, after a presentation, or just on the fly. Follow those people on Twitter and you’ll be informed,  instantly.

Plan ahead, be organized, leave free time, seek out knowledge and spontaneous opportunity.

Hope to see you at Mobile Beat Las Vegas, or another industry conference during the year.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

Hope, Optimism and Wedding Marketing

This evening, I will be presenting a seminar titled: Fast Track Your Marketing in the Current Economy.

Members and guests of Silicon Valley NACE will attend, looking for answers, and strategies for success, in what promises to be a most challenging year.

This morning, newly elected President, Barack Obama, set the tone for all Americans. That tone is filled with hope and optimism. He also has been doing his best to shape realistic expectations.

Renewed times of prosperity will not magically appear. They will re-emerge, based on the smart thinking and hard work of each one of us.

Hope and optimism are important. The grease-the-wheels of hard work.

But I ask you to think of this day, this year, this time, as you did when you started your business or began a new job. As difficult as things may be, bring back that same enthusiasm, vigor, and hustle to prosper once again.

Not just survive, but flourish. If each of us does that, how can we do anything but find renewed success.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Mobile DJ to Club DJ

So you have your gear all set up and your ready to play, this time for a Bride and Groom, next time a corporate retirement party.  You’ve got your music and lights and a plan.  The entire event rests on your shoulders because your a DJ, your the DJ.  Now what if your Bride and Groom or retiree was at a Club and just hanging out looking to dance and have fun; is this really any different than your weddings and parties?  Being a mobile DJ allows you the luxury of having crowds of strangers, all with the same goal, have a good time due to your ability.  Welcome to a mobile DJ that can easily work in a Club.

This blog is to open the eyes of mobile DJs to trying and ultimately working in Clubs.  With the new economic challenges that we must face in the mobile market, the Club world opens up as another source of revenue.  Yes the tough times will affect the Clubs, so having DJs who can read the crowd and deliver a great performance will be a huge asset to the owners.  The gigs that we do on a weekly basis require more preparing and time than any Club event, so we are already in a position to succeed in that environment.

I will be discussing the old and new music that gets played in the clubs.  The mix skills that will come into play, and the gear used.  All the various things needed to be a Club DJ coming from a mobile background.  We read the crowd and make the night fun through our track selection; that’s exactly what a Club DJ does.  I will also be interviewing club DJs who have done mobile gigs and asking what differences they have seen and encountered.  I want you to be open to making more money based on your talent and love of being a mobile DJ; it is that simple.

djjay

Investing 30 hours of time in 2 hours of networking

Thirty hours of time, for two hours of networking probably seems out of proportion to the untrained eye. Not to my eyes.

It’s Tuesday, and I’m driving to the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica, CA to attend the second of two launch parties in Southern California, hosted by WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association). Monday’s event was at the Sheraton, San Diego.

If you haven’t heard about WIPA, you should read my post from last week.

Here’s the thing. The main focus of my business is weddings. Wedding marketing, precisely. The notion of a true nationwide association is important to the industry, and important to my business.

For me, joining is a no-brainer. Sending in a check is easy. I want to kick the tires. Meet the leaders. Feel the tone of the organization. Hear where it’s headed.

In the world of Amazon.com and YouTube, there is nothing quite like shaking hands, looking people in the eye, and listening to what they say. I feel strongly about that, so I’ll be driving to Santa Monica, attending the gathering, and hanging out, afterward.

Driving back to Las Vegas, Wednesday, is important, too. Because Wednesday night will be the Awards and Board Installation for the Las Vegas Chapter of NACE. If one were to attend only one NACE meeting, the entire year, this would be the one.

Online social networking has its place. Being face-to-face is even more important. And I’m in this industry for the long haul. What about you?

I’ll report to you about WIPA, in the next couple of days.

Stay tuned!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

WIPA First Non-Profit Trade Association Launched for US Wedding Industry

There are many wedding organizations offering networking meetings, conferences, education, networking, and/or certification throughout the United States: ACPWC, AFWPI, June Wedding, Inc., Weddings Beautiful, and ABC to name just a handful.

While all these organizations serve their members, to varying degrees, none of them are actually a non-profit trade association (also known as a Business League).

What’s the difference you ask? A non-profit trade association, such as ISES or NACE, and now, WIPA, is owned by its members. It is not operated by an individual or partnership who own the organization, in perpetuity.

The average member of any of organization, national or local, may not care whether the belong to a non-profit trade association; however, it is more than a technicality. It’s a way of doing business.

Further, there is dominant wedding association, nationally. There a variety of certifications, which have their own value, but there is not uniformity among them.

WIPA is the first national non-profit (501c6) trade association created specifically for providers of wedding products and services.

The purpose of WIPA is to educate the public about the value of employing qualified wedding specialists, to set and monitor performance standards for its members, and to provide members with opportunities to enhance their professional growth.

Pioneered by 36 leading authorities in the wedding business, WIPA was introduced to a select group of bridal specialists recently at The Vintage Estate in Napa Valley, California, on October 1st, and at the headquarters of Wildflower Linen in Southern California on October 7th.

WIPA’s Founding Sponsors and Members read like a Who’s Who list in the wedding industry – Auberge du Soleil, Denon & Doyle Entertainment, Good Gracious! Events, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, Penton Media (publishers of Special Events magazine) The Carneros Inn, and many other premiere providers.

“We recognized the need for higher level education and professional development opportunities for those employed in the wedding industry,” explains WIPA’s first President, Joyce Scardina Becker, an international award-winning wedding planner and author.  “Our industry has just risen to professional status over the past 20 years, and many unskilled planners and suppliers have been starting new wedding careers at a rapid pace.  There’s an overdue need for a strong code of ethics, and WIPA will set the standards of performance for the wedding industry.  The expert members in WIPA are demanding it.”

As a non-profit association, WIPA is run by its members, who understand what it takes to produce a wedding. WIPA brings together professionals from all wedding disciplines, including cake designers, caterers, entertainment companies, florists, hoteliers, journalists, photographers, rental companies, videographers, wedding planners and many more.

This solid peer network helps WIPA’s professionals produce outstanding results for brides and grooms.  Other national membership service organizations exist in the wedding industry, but they are for-profit entities, in business to generate a monetary return on investment for their owners.  WIPA has been established to satisfy needs that are unmet by the for-profit wedding groups, primarily through superior education, mentoring, certification, career advancement and business support.

WIPA is moving to the forefront of wedding industry education at The Special Event 2009 Conference, which will take place at the San Diego Convention Center on January 27-30, 2009.  At this annual conference that attracts 6,000 event industry professionals from around the world, WIPA members will present six educational seminars on important wedding-related topics.  For more information about The Special Event 2009, visit its website.

The long term plan for WIPA includes local chapters and its own national conference.

Next week, as part of its rollout, WIPA will be hosting launch events on Monday, November 17th, and Tuesday, November 18th, in San Diego and Santa Monica, respectively. These launch events are designed to share information about the benefits of joining this new association.

Monday, November 17th
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina
1380 Harbor Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

To RSVP for the San Diego event, please email: jessica@eventsbydesign.com

Tuesday, November 18th
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Fairmont Mirarmar Hotel & Bungalows
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401

To RSVP for the San Diego event, please email: paula@weddingsbyct.com

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SPECIAL COMMENT: This is ground breaking news. The launch and success of WIPA can be an excellent enhancement to the United States wedding industry. It’s important to find out about, attend launch events, join, and be involved. In this way, wedding professionals can earn both the knowledge and credentials to serve their clients and peers with utmost integrity and ability.

Your reaction, comments, thoughts, and questions are especially welcomed on this news.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Set your wedding marketing goals for 2009

Perhaps you have noticed. Halloween has passed and Christmas decorations are everywhere in sight. Thanksgiving barely registers as a bump-in-the-road anymore.

If Christmas is a scant 50 days away, can the new year be far behind?

Okay, now that I’ve successfully boosted your blood pressure, it’s time to take inventory on marketing. Please pull out your 2008 wedding marketing plan. You have a written wedding marketing plan, don’t you?

In either case, set aside some quiet time for planning. My definition of quiet time means no distractions. No phones and no extraneous people. What you need is your marketing materials from 2008, your financial information, sales data, and media kits for all the new marketing opportunities in 2009. A Sunday away from the office, with just you,  your laptop, business partner, and/or marketing mentor should do it.

Gee whiz… I really didn’t mean to scare you so badly.

Tell you what. Do three things, right now.

1. Block a half-day or full day on your calendar for this planning session.
2. Begin to gather and organize your materials for that session, giving yourself enough time to prepare.
3. Obtain current media kits and rate information from any publications, websites, wedding shows, networking groups or other marketing options you should be considering.

I’ll get back to you on the rest.

Quote: Tomorow’s starting now - John Legend (quote inspired by Marcello Pedalino, MMP Entertainment)

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Whatever is obviously outdated, needs fixing

The image of the sign in this post appears in the office of one of my doctors. It lives behind the glass, facing the hoards of patients, killing time in the waiting room.

In the last couple of years, I’ve spent way too much time in waiting rooms. I’ve read every magazine, worked on my laptop, and considered every possible piece of good or bad news that might face me when I actually get in to see the doctor.

The sign posts a change of insurance acceptance from May 15, 2007. HELLO! It’s now November 2008. Either remove the date or remove the sign.

The sign is a symbol of internal blindness that many small business owners suffer from. We don’t notice obvious evidence that the external faces of our businesses is covered with cobwebs.

• Does your website boast?: Last updated 10/7/06
• Do you have trouble opening documents sent to you, by email, because your software is more than two versions old?
• Does your company logo look like it was designed in the late 1970’s?
• When your crew shows up to deliver or set up, are they wearing Grateful Dead t-shirts, or polo shirts, sporting your company name?

Time flies, and we have a different threshold of awareness when it comes to ourselves, or our businesses. Designing and implementing a new logo is a big deal. Others tasks… not so much.

Get an outside opinion. A fresh set of eyes and ears. In a time when money is tight, you’ll be surprised how many actions you can take to bring matters up to date, without spending a king’s ransom.

Once you figure out what those tasks are, you actually have to perform them.

You can do it!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

When a wedding referral source gets fired

Earlier this week, one my clients lost her job. She was a competent, hard worker, and pulled in the appropriate sales numbers for her company.

She handled events in a banquet facility for a dinner-house, video poker bar, live entertainment room, and separate banquet facility.

The other day, she received a text message from her boss indicating the business would be closing that morning (details are irrelevant). She called him to confirm the bad news.

Game over for her, but there is more.

Like many facilities, she subcontracted for various rentals and services. She had a ‘house-DJ’ who had become quite dependent on her flow of business. He had not found it necessary to do much marketing for holiday business, this year.

All of a sudden, his company is in big trouble.

CAUTION: If you are highly dependent for wedding referrals from one company or one person at a company, and they are fired, let go, or the business closes, you are up the creek without a paddle (that’s a technical term).

This little story is quite contained. However, if you are dealing with one person, in an office of six, and you haven’t developed relationships with the other five, you are officially tempting fate.

Do an inventory of referral sources, and both cement and widen the relationships. If the unpredictable happens, you will be better prepared.

Don’t just wait. Be proactive.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

5 Tips To Make Your Psyche, Recession Resistant

This morning, a headline in the business section shouted “Retail Sales Plunge.”

Wow! How much, 40%, 30%, 25%? No, it was 1.2%. This small percentage might represent many dollars for the mega-business. For the small business, one wouldn’t even notice it. A drop of 1.2% could easily be offset by adding just a few efficiencies. Effectively, a loss OR gain of 1.2% is flat.

This headline caused me to think about recession issues and the hype of headline-news. You may not realize that the authors of news articles don’t write the headlines; the editors do.

Here are a few quick thoughts to make your wedding marketing psyche “recession resistant.”

1) Don’t just read the headline; read the article. Often the item is neither as negative or as positive as the headline. Don’t swallow the headline as thought it’s the beginning and the end of things. And sort out what, if anything, applies to you.

2) The best defense is a good offense. This may be a sports cliche, but it rings true, right now. Now is not the time to go into hiding, based on fear of the recession. It’s the time to ramp up personal public relations and marketing to actively remind people of your presence.

3) Distance yourself from negativity and negative people: We all have friends and business associates who can find the cloud in every silver lining. Keep your distance. To the greatest extent you can, interact with positive, optimistic people.

That doesn’t mean an individual cannot experience a rough patch, but, like you, they should be working on strategies to improve their chances of success.

4) Lagniappe: Lagniappe refers to “a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase.” Rather than give discounts, offer ’something extra,’ without being asked. Even if you did not need to make that part of the negotiation, throw something in, and softly communicate its value to the client.

5) Remember to breathe: Slow down, before you react. After a bad phone call or other tough news, take a walk, refresh yourself and start again. Don’t work seven days a week; recharge your body and brain. You’ll be more effective and efficient.

If you have any great ideas that you are using to stay on the positive side of things, please share them by posting a comment. That, in itself, is a feel-good.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Dealing with your weakest link

One of life’s realities is that each of us is not good at everything. I’ve never been good at iron shirts. Worse than that, I’ve never had the desire to become good at it. Rather than wear wrinkled shirts, I outsource it. The local cleaners does a great job laundering and pressing my shirts, puts them on a hanger… no starch please.

That’s just one of the tasks I’m not good at. I’m constantly grappling with which ones I should delegate or outsource.

The same is true of company weaknesses. One can work around some weaknesses, work around others, but weaknesses that crop up repeatedly should raise the red flag for you.

Big businesses have weaknesses, too. Often they are systemic. Rather than teaching critical thinking and problem solving, they give employees a script or a policy, and hope for the best. Good luck with that!

As a small business business owner or middle manager, you have other choices: Delegate, coach, training, or redefine job duties along the lines of skills rather job description.

Personality flaws or idiosyncrasies cannot be changed. Some people should not have customer contact. To think you somehow modify their behavior is arrogant, at best. Poor or awkward customer service can undo the greatest wedding marketing in just a split-second.

There is an old line, “Never try to teach a pig to sing. They can’t do it, and trying to teach them annoys the pig.”

Nordstrom has a great motto in personnel: “We don’t train people to be nice. We hire nice people.”

Everyone either is, or will be, in a period of reevaluation. If you’re not, you will be soon.

Simply, you cannot afford to have weak links. Can you eliminate them, entirely? Maybe not for any great length of time. If you don’t minimize them, you leave your business vulnerable to all kinds of drama and failure.

You don’t wait either of those, do you?

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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