News

In late September, teams of executives and planners from leading incentive companies descended on Vail, Colorado to experience the delights of this destination wonderland. But rather than guidebooks, they had iPads in hand.

It’s every planner’s dilemma—the event isn’t over, but your aching feet are. We grimace and bear it as we hobble along on heels and dream of a good soak when the guests go home. But here’s a tip that we spotted recently on Meco that could lead to some relief.

A wedding after party? Why not? This growing trend appeals to many just-wedded couples who don’t want to stop celebrating just because the reception is over. It’s typically out-of-town guests and younger folk who want to keep dancing and they are using night clubs, hotel suites and even restaurants to carry on the festivities.

It’s only been in operation since January, 2010, but already Wish Upon a Wedding has made dreams come true for more than 20 couples in the United States. With the launch of a new Minnesota chapter this month, this charitable organization now has active chapters in 22 locations.

While Hurricane Katrina came and went almost six years ago, there are still thousands of “forgotten” families still homeless or living in FEMA trailers. Enter Operation Outreach: Event Pros in Action (OO), founded just four months ago by Susie Perelman and Stacey Mehalik of Mosaic Inc., Pittsburgh, PA.

Tired of the same-old escort card display—you know, those little tents lined up on a table? Here are some ways to change up the traditional, with a touch of whimsy that will be sure to delight guests.

As heat waves continue to roll across the nation, planners who have upcoming outdoor events may tend to panic. How in the world are you going to keep your guests cool and comfortable if the weather turns blistering?

Of course, there are always portable air conditioners and fans, but if that stretches the budget or exceeds the power supply, you have some other options.

When you bring 42,000 salespeople together in one place, there’s bound to be a lot of noise—130-plus decibels, to be precise, about the level of a rock concert. It happened recently in Atlanta, where the recognition/motivation event for a large financial services company took place over a three day period.

It’s not often that a meeting organizer actually tells attendees to leave their business cards at home, but that’s exactly what happened at the recent SPINCon gathering in St. Paul, MN, earlier this month. (Read about SPIN and its first conference in the Editor’s Blog this month.)

Event Solutions is delighted to announce that industry icon Preston Bailey is joining our team! Beginning with the August/September issue, our newly-created Inspirations column will feature Preston personally answering your questions about event design, planning and even business.