Today, we're talking about imbookin

Your name: Liz Mazzei
Company/Tool Name: imbookin.com (Powered by Pogby)
Website: http://www.imbookin.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/imbookin - @imbookin
Facebook: http://facebook.com/imbookin

What is the "problem" that your tool seeks to solve?
The problem our tool seeks to solve is the time consuming and frustrating process of finding a location (venue) for your event.

What is the best audience for this tool? Corporate events? Social? Other? Large? Small?
The best audience for our tool is anyone who plans an event and wants to save time and energy in the site selection process whether you are planning a corporate or social event, office get together, happy hour, off site, birthday party, etc, big or small. Since we are adding locations everyday the possibilities are endless!

What does your tool help event planners do better?
Our tool helps you find the best location for your event. At imbookin.com you can search locations (hotels, restaurants, art galleries, rooftops, zoos, loft spaces, retail stores, etc), see the different packages they offer (open bars, pre fixe meals, minimum spend rentals, cocktail receptions, etc), check out availability and how much it costs! With imbookin.com you can compare all the different options and see a bunch of new and unique locations you never considered for your event before. No more wasting time calling and emailing just to ask to questions: Are you available and how much does it cost?

How is your tool different from/better than the competition?
Unlike any other tool out there, we are transparent with information and our system allows location managers to directly enter their details and pricing information and then display upfront for users to search. Also unlike any other tool, at imbookin.com you can actually book to secure your event location online.

What is the single coolest feature of your product?
The fact you can see pricing and compare the options for open bars or 3 course meals for your event at over 250+ locations in NYC is amazing. Never before have you had information at your finger tips like this.

Anything else we need to know?
We just launched last week! The system is still in beta so please check it out and tell us what you think. We got LOTS more features coming soon too including map based search, videos, reviews, booking perks, VIP events for our users, and more. You can earn $ in booking credits too by referring a friend. Sign up at http://imbookin.com to get your referral code. Its free for locations to sign up and get listed on the site, so tell everyone you know to join!

More than 500,000 apps are available in the Apple store and 250,000 in the Android Marketplace. More will continue to be built everyday, but we might be approaching a bubble. How many more can we possibly need? The proliferation of apps has caused the best ones to rise to the top. A Nielson study shows that 43 percent of the time Android users spend using apps is on the 10 most popular ones.

Many apps are created to make up for something a commonly used app lacks. Developers then improve the original, making it more popular. Before Twitter’s recent update, you had to use a third-party application like Twitvid to post videos in your status. The December update to the Twitter app solved that and added functionality users requested such as auto-shortening links and retweeting options once only available through third-party apps. Advanced smartphones have removed the need for many one-off apps, too. No need to download a group texting app when the iPhone has that capability, and we’re just getting started with everything Siri has made obsolete. Then there’s HTML5, which might get rid of the need for apps altogether.

In the meantime, there’s one app a meeting planner has to have: a custom event app. Nowhere in the mobile world can attendees get your speaker information, schedule and event alerts. Attendees don’t need hundreds of niche apps, but they do need your app when they’re at your event.

Think about your attendees when designing your app. What do they want and how will they use it? Should you offer social media functionality if users prefer using Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare directly? Should your app link to Google Maps, one of the top 10 most used apps on every mobile device? Should gaming—the No. 1 most popular mobile activity—be a feature of your app?

Does your event have a custom app? What features are most used by participants?

Photo by DieZBW

ISS World: The ISS World conferences serve suppliers of ‘Intelligence Support Systems for Lawful Interception, Criminal Investigations and Intelligence gathering.’ In layman’s terms this means that manufacturers of electronic surveillance equipment get to meet members of various countries law enforcement and intelligence to showcase their products. Of course this event is very secure, with no journalists allowed. Unfortunate for UK journalists who might be interested in the ‘Wiretapping,  Understanding the basics’ workshop, or the Online Observation and Infiltration keynote address.

Annual Psychic Fair and Witch Craft Expo: For fans of the paranormal the expo, held in Salem during October (of course) could be just what you need. The fair offers everything from Tarot readings to spirit guides. For the occult minded not only is it free, but runs every day during October.

Conspiracy Con: Staying in the realm of the paranormal Conspiracy Con provides a meeting place for the ‘greater truth movement’ and has a number of debates. In 2011 topics for debate included 9/11, Illuminati and UFO’s alongside other even more esoteric subjects. If you believe or just want to find out a bit more, then you can discover more at their website or visit to see more for yourself at Santa Clara California on Memorial Weekend.

World Toilet Summit: It feels a bit unfair to include this in the list, as a serious summit that works to address sanitation issues for over 2.6 billion people. But the opportunity is too good to miss. For three days experts in hygiene will discuss a variety of issues, technology and approaches to ensure that everyone has access to a loo when they need one.

Twins Day: Held in Twinsburg Ohio on the first weekend of August, Twins Day is a gathering for all twins, triplets and other multiples. Traditionally featuring a lot of identical twins wearing identical clothing and following a theme for each event. It also gives researchers in medicine and ageing access to a large pool of twins, which can be vital for providing control groups.

Celebrity Impersonators Expo: Held in LA, (where else) this is a gathering and meeting for celebrity lookalikes and impersonators. They also hold the annual ‘Reel Awards’ as well as tribute acts and a huge host of ‘celebrities’ this is the place to go if you’re not already on the red carpet.

International cake explorers societè: An annual meeting of cake and sugar artists, it is held in a different town every year and features a host of weird and wonderful cakes.

National Coffin Exhibition: The national Coffin Exhibition, also known as ‘handled with care’ showcases the latest in ethical burials, with a wide variety of handmade coffins ranging from the traditional to brightly coloured and shaped creations.

Necropolis: Carrying on with the morbid theme, and to show that funeral workers have quite a sense of humour, Necropolis is the largest trade show for the funeral industry. It features suppliers offering everything from caskets and embalming equipment through to disaster pouches and grave making equipment.

International Independent Showmen’s Association Trade Show: The International Independent Showmen’s Association Trade Show is held every year in Gibsonton Florida. Its features include rides, food supplies and equipment, concession trailers, electrical supplies, insurance companies, novelty items, plush toys, jewellery and more.

So there it is a collection of the more unique events out there. Now I just hope that the ISS World organisers don’t take their inclusion the wrong way.

Daniel Frank is a blogger and marketer who is writing on behalf of Nimlok UK. Nimlok design and produce a range of exhibition stands including modular and customised stands.

Photo by Microsoft ClipArt Gallery

• What are the pros and cons of social networks in promoting events? Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and more.
• What is your experience with event discounts? When to offer? How much?
• What other methods do you use to get people to sign up for your events? Or, even better, to sign up early?

Not sure how to join us? It's pretty simple! Just go to tweetchat.com and sign in with your Twitter username and password. Then, enter the #eventprofs hashtag at the top. I'll be the moderator so you can look out for my comments and questions. Then, all you have to do is respond! It's that simple!

Twitter success requires total buy-in.
I don’t see Twitter as a marketing tool so you need to make sure that you are really interested and open to seeing what happens. If you’re getting on Twitter just because everyone else tells you too, you aren’t likely to be successful.

Twitter success requires time.
As with all social media tools, Twitter is all about relationships. And, as you know, quality relationships require a time investment. There are no quick fixes, no ways to cheat yourself to 10,000 followers. You must be consistent and engage with the people you follow and who follow you. You don’t need to post an update every five minutes, but you do need to commit to interacting on a regular basis.

Twitter success requires introspection.
There isn’t a guidebook for your interactions on Twitter and it’s really easy to get on and start talking about yourself. You need to continually think about your content and relationships and compare them with your goals. If you aren’t getting the results you hoped for, change things up and keep trying.

Twitter success requires a true interest in others.
Overt marketing is a thing of the past. No one wants to hear about you and what you’re good at. They want to EXPERIENCE it. Don’t even try to get on Twitter if your goal is self-promotion. You’ll find out the hard way that no one cares. You might get followers, but quality is more important than quantity. Ask a question to your audience and if no one responds, you may need to switch things up.

Photo by IvanPW

Today, we're talking about CheckInEasy

Your name: Justin Baer
Company/Tool Name: Check In Easy - Guest List & Check-in iPad/iPhone App
Website: www.checkineasy.com
Twitter: @checkineasy
Facebook: http://facebook.com/checkineasy

What is the "problem" that your tool seeks to solve?

• We are making paper guest lists and those ugly brown clipboards a thing of the past!
• Spending two hours after the event reconciling 5 different stapled excel files to see who attended will also be extinct.
• We are also eliminating the insane hassle of your assistant trying to find you at the event to let you know that your VIP guest has arrived.

Our guest list iPhone and iPad app makes it super simple and lightning fast to check in guests. Our notification email feature automatically sends the event planner a text message or email when their special guest arrives. Lastly, downloading a reconciled guest list showing when guests arrived is at the touch of a button.

What is the best audience for this tool? Corporate events? Social? Other? Large? Small?
All events that have more than 10 guests should be throwing away their stapled excel printout with highlighter markings all over it. Special events, corporate parties, galas, venues and night clubs. I even heard someone might use it for a baby shower! Hey, there’s a first for everything! Basically every and all events. Because our pricing model is scaled, any size event can check their guests in with the touch of a button with minimal cost.

What does your tool help event planners do better?
Check-in guests in record speed and reconcile actual attendees in no time. Our clients are also telling us they can now eliminate staff at the door because the guest list app facilitates a much faster check-in.

How is your tool different from/better than the competition?
1) First and foremost our company and servers are based in the United States and our security protocols are the Fort Knox of guest list apps. Our clients, including Google, Porsche and Tory Burch are super sensitive about their lists and they trust CheckInEasy’s stable platform and servers. When we checked in 2600 Google employees at their holiday party this past December, we had 11 iPads all signed in to the same event and they scanned over 200 guests a minute. No downtime or app freezes. Check out this testimonial from Google’s event planner.

2) Our app is extremely simple and easy to use. Uploading a guest list and being ready for check-in takes less than 60 seconds.

3) Our pricing model is about half of the closest competitor.

4) Large events might choose to use our boarding pass feature, where you can upload your guest list and send attendees a “boarding pass” with a unique QR code that can be scanned at the door with our built in scanner on an iPhone 4 or iPad 2.

What is the single coolest feature of your product?
Email and text notification when a special guest arrives.

Anything else we need to know?
Large or small, we can help you make check-in the easiest part of your event. If you have any questions feel free to call our office at (800) 610-8587 x3.

But once you realize all the different types of locations and opportunities for your event, more than 50,000 in the NYC area alone, it becomes a bit overwhelming. Where do you start? How can you possibly call and/or email them all to connect?

Before you begin your search, you must first understand the objective of your event and consider the following 7 basic questions to determine what type of location will be most suitable:

1. How many guests will be attending?
2. Do you need just one big open space or a bunch of smaller rooms?
3. Will you need food and beverage at your event?
4. Will this event include sitting or standing?
5. Will you have displayed media?
6. Do attendees need to access wifi?
7. What privacy level will you require?

Once you understand these basic needs for your event, the fun begins! Time to start communicating with various locations, find out if they are available and determine if they fit within your budget. There are a bunch of ways to find a location and even some tools online that will help you connect with locations and find out the important details like capacity, amenities, price and availability. In our next post we will discuss, a couple of ways you can find a location for your next event.

Remember don’t get overwhelmed by the number of locations. Make sure you understand your event before you get started and then start shopping!

What other advice do you have for folks before they begin their location search? Any other basic factors we should add to the list?

Photo by CartoonStock.com

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Last November, I was invited to go on my first cruise - an experience in luxury that I will never forget. If you’ve never been on a cruise, then imagine a Las Vegas resort hotel... on water. As a guest on the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, I was treated to what seemed like endless food, entertainment, and leisure time options. I also received a concentrated lesson in the art of hospitality and yes, a few insights about event planning.

Here’s the way a cruise works. You pay in advance for your lodging and your basic food and entertainment. Alcoholic beverages and fancy coffee drinks like cappuccino are extra, as are the offerings from a variety of specialty restaurants and other food establishments, spas, casinos and off ship activities such as guided tours and excursions. It is possible to enjoy the experience at a variety of levels, with a great range in monetary output. In other words, if you grab at every colorful frozen drink that is offered to you as you’re lounging on the sundeck, you’re going to feel it when you sign for the final bill.

I couldn’t help viewing my time on and off the ship through the lens of an event professional. Here are a few key observations that made a serious impression on me:

1) Choices - The level of choices on the ship was impressive. Meals were an especially option-filled time. From the bountiful buffet offerings at breakfast and lunch to the unlimited menu options at dinner time, we just plain pigged out. Multiple appetizers, main courses? Sure... Can’t make up your mind about dessert? Try a few... And did I mention the pizzeria on the main deck that was open about 18 hours a day? Slices on demand, at no extra cost.

Um, that’s it. No great lesson here. Just unlimited food. I was in heaven. And the pizza thing kind of took it to a whole other level.

The main deck of the Allure Of the Seas, featuring the awesome Sorrento's pizza...

2) High Tech ID/Reservation Technology - The tracking system employed to keep over 5000 guests flowing effortlessly to our variously scheduled evening activities was seamlessly integrated with our Sea Passes (ID Cards - also used as room keys and for all on-board purchases). At each event our cards were scanned by handheld, wireless devices - the same system used to make sure that every single passenger reported back to the ship after spending the day on a shore-side excursion. Security, scheduling and onboard purchasing, all handled by one integrated system. Marvelous.

If you want to have a successful event as well as a profitable aftermath, then you want to know who is attending and be able to easily follow up with your participants, or even market to them. In addition, a seamlessly integrated system of payment streamlines sales or donations and maximizes profitability.

3) Really Cool Digital Photo Technology - The minute you step on the ship, you are directed to have your picture taken. Your image is correlated with your personal information from your Sea Pass. From then on, your picture will be taken at least a dozen more times. Via sophisticated image recognition technology, each of these subsequent photos of you will be directed into your account. At the end of your onboard stay, you will have the opportunity to peruse the album of pictures documenting your trip and of course purchase your keepsake portraits.

I just thought this was the coolest thing ever. Having never seen it before, I thought it was real sci-fi stuff. I have no idea how available this technology is, nor how expensive, but I can definitely see it being used at conferences or other large events such as trade shows, both as a way to sell photos, as well as a method of networking participants, by identifying and following up on the relationships they develop over the course of the proceedings.

4) Total Immersion in New Environments - With 18 decks, seven specially themed areas and numerous bars, eateries, lounges, pavilions, activity areas and cozy corners spread throughout the ship, guests have countless opportunities for entertainment and escape by completely immersing themselves in something new.

Oh what the hell, it was just completely over the top. What can I tell you? It was like Disneyland at sea - on steroids. It was relentless. By day five I was like, really? More fun? More food? Uncle, Uncle I tell you!!

Allure of the Seas - overlooking "Central Park"

5) High Production Values - Every evening we saw a different show. One night it was the Broadway hit, Chicago. Another night it was an ice show. The next night we heard a fantastic acapella group called Mosaic, then there was a comedy show, the aqua show (complete with high divers), and a not-too-great review of popular songs that all managed to sound like muzak, choreographed to something that looked like Avatar, with arbitrary, apparently obligatory trapeze work... OK, only one dog of a show amongst a week of winners - not bad. Overall, the combination of world class talent coupled with state-of-the-art technology made for some of incredibly enjoyable performances.

Once again, variety was paramount, but even more important was the use of the best technological tools to enhance already good work. The lighting and sound were top notch, video was integrated seamlessly into several of the shows, and the aquatic theater was truly breathtaking. However, when the substance of the entertainment stumbled, the latest tech advances came across as empty gimmicks. Make sure your content matches the integrity of the tools you use to deliver it, or your entire presentation will fall flat and be rendered a dismal failure.

6) Down Time - Inevitably, the danger of over-stimulation exists. With so many activities available at any given moment, I found it important - no, essential, to include some quiet time for unwinding and relaxing. Sometimes it was nice to just hang out on the balcony of our cabin and watch the ship move through the water. One evening, we found a deserted corner of an upper deck and took a leisurely nap on a big lounger under the stars with a cool breeze dancing on our faces.

Every event requires resting points for your guests or participants. Conferences and meetings should have down time booked in for reflection or casual conversation. The wildest dance parties need a lounge area where people can get off their feet for a few minutes and relax with a drink. Balance is essential to the success of every impactful event!

7) Scheduling and Order - With so many moving parts, the need for strict scheduling and order is pretty obvious, hence the expression, “running a tight ship.” Within the constraints of a well functioning itinerary, there are many pleasures to be enjoyed, but only if everyone behind the scenes stays on point. Good staffing and management is key.

We all love to have a good time, and no one particularly wants to feel like part of a herd of sheep. However, any good event planner will tell you that a well thought out itinerary and a solid production plan are both key to creating the space where seemingly effortless enjoyment can take place. This goes for everything from business conferences and trade shows to cocktail parties and performances.

8 ) Building New Relationships - One particularly delightful element of being on a cruise is the interactions you have with people from many different parts of the world. I was part of a loose group that all booked our trips through the same travel agency, so I ended up meeting a number of folks from the New York area. However, over the course of our time on board the ship, I also got to know people from various other parts of the US, Australia, and England.

Meeting new people and broadening our horizons is the spice of life. Part of holding an event any larger than an intimate house party is providing the opportunity for people to develop new relationships. Keep this in mind regardless of what type of event you are planning, and make the space for this to happen!

9) The Off-Ship Experience, Tourism and Global Responsibility - Most cruises include one or more stops in different ports of call. My cruise included visits to Jamaica, Mexico and a small, private island, run by the cruise ship company just off the coast of Haiti, called Labadee. I had a bit of concern over paying a visit to a luxury location in Haiti, particularly after the devastation of that still struggling nation during the earthquake nearly two years earlier. It somehow felt too decadent, almost obscene, and I was extremely conflicted over how to handle it.

For our Labadee island excursion, we decided to go on a historical walking tour and learn more about the country. I was so glad I did. Not only did we receive a thorough political history of the region from our tour guide, a life long Haitian resident, as well as a brief tutorial on local herbal medicinal remedies, but I learned about the economic benefits of the cruise ship’s presence on that island to the Haitians who found employment there, as well as on the ships.

As a way of making personal sense of the huge economic disparity between those who can afford to visit other countries for fun and those residents who may be struggling just to get by, I decided that contributing to the local tourist industry was not enough for me. While in Haiti, one of the other guests on the tour asked our guide how outsiders could help in the continuing earthquake recovery effort. He replied to just come down and help. In addition to larger, more well known groups, he explained how small church groups and other organizations have made it their business to pitch in, on the ground, restoring buildings and playgrounds, and helping to provide other much needed resources and services.

This is a huge topic, and I couldn’t hope to do it justice here, but the short story is that because of my trip, I was inspired to support a charity started by another woman from the events world, called My Neighbor’s Children. In fact, I hope to visit Haiti again this year, this time not as a tourist, but as a volunteer.

There are many ways to incorporate charitable interests with your meetings and events. Sometimes, partnering with a charity can facilitate outreach on your own event, while events specifically dedicated to fundraising can help build goodwill for your brand even as you make a tangible contribution to a worthy cause. Sounds to me like this would be a worthy subject for a future post...

Allure of the Seas docked at Labadee Island, Haiti

Photos by Deborah Pannell

Now a lot of people ask me, how can you possibly spend that kind of a money on a event but instead of me giving you the long and short of it, let me break it down in points :

• If you think of the actual components of a party, what the money goes on – the most expensive thing you can do is to build a house from scratch. So building a completely new structure would send the budget shooting up immediately.
• Even erecting a marquee is only as cheap as you want it to be. A marquee starts out as a white tent, like any room starts out as a bare white space. It’s how you build from there and the luxury you bring in that dictates the budget.
• Do you want a “wow” element, like a canal going through the marquee, complete with real gondolas ? Nothing is impossible
• Do you bring the designer elements from Ikea or Philippe Starcke? That could raise the spend from £100 to £1000.
• In terms of design, we could bring in some Picassos or some cutting edge stuff designed for this one off occasion; we could bring in celebrities. We could pour the best champagne and serve only vintage wines and caviar.
• We could add layer upon layer of luxury, making the experience of sitting in the marquee or that basic tent cost £100,000 or £200,000. It’s not going to cost a lot more than that, unless we transport the room to Marrakesh – which has also been known to happen for a big enough event.

Truth be told there is no set amount of money that guarantees you a good party or event. The essence of a good party is to understand your guests , to understand their origins and expectations, and to understand your own motivation in having the event. Working out a budget is key to throwing a good event. Once you know the parameters your working to, it’s much easier to fill in the blanks. Stick to what you can afford. If you go over, you are not going to feel relaxed about the event and you will probably end up cutting corners later on. Work out what elements are most crucial to you and remember guests won’t remember the food was so-so or the wine was cheap if they have been “wowed” by the theme or location, or the effects or the overall styling. Understand your client and their guests, work out what will excite them and make them feel special, because after all, it’s often the theatre of an event which will stay in people’s minds for a long time after the event is over.

This particular event really illustrated to me the ebullient indulgence of some industry’s. So what did I DO ....

Guests would enter through a dynamic time tunnel, with 16ft high banks of scenery ranging from an old London street scene complete with goats, chickens, straw and Victorian characters right the way through to a painted panorama of the modern London Skyline. Inside the venue itself the gel on the lights had changed to blue.

There were 20 production personnel, 20 lighting technicians and thirty actors, plus dozens of line managers. The event went off with a, well big bang. After the last guests had left and I walked into the room where the media representatives had gathered, still buzzing with adrenaline from the evening’s events, there was a spontaneous round of applause.

Another great night but in all honesty the biggest event for ages and I do wander if the recession has made dinosaurs of these kinds of events and clients or if the golden age will come back at least one more time. What do you think, are the BIG SPENDERS a thing of the past?

Since that time, I’ve seen a plethora of incidents occur: Heart attacks, Childbirth, Injuries, Suicide, Public intoxication, False Fire alarms, Fires (with real flames), Property damage, Flooding, Public fighting

First step – Analyze what risks are likely to occur during your event.
You are not going to be able to plan for every contingency. I was working at an event this past August, when the east coast earthquake struck. To be honest, we hadn’t planned for the earthquake as one of the possible incidents. But we were able to adapt our planning that we had done on how to evacuate in case of other emergencies.

Second step – Develop an emergency procedures plan.
What is the chain of command? Where is all of your event team staying? What steps need to be done to mitigate further damages or injury. Be sure to share this plan with your supplier partners as well. There are several simple steps that you can take to minimize your risks in several areas.

While on site at an event, walk the necessary evacuation routes to ensure that all are passable. This should be repeated daily. One time, we had a room change overnight and this is what was found the next day. Medical emergencies are probably the most common situations that occur at events. Most venues provide or require organizers to have some medical coverage.

If you do multiple events a year, consider purchasing a portable Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machine and get trained how to use it. Have you considered taking a basic first aid course? The Red Cross offers training at many local community colleges at minimal cost.

I am going to let you in on a little secret. I am out of shape (really). My family has a history of heart disease. I really, really would not mind having many people, who know basic first aid and how to use an AED, hanging out around me at most industry events. One more thing, there are Good Samaritan laws to protect those that come to the aid of others.

Do you serve alcohol at your events? Depending on where you are located, there could be laws that could make you liable as the host if the guest were to cause harm to others due to intoxication. Make sure that your servers have had some form of alcohol awareness training. Better yet, consider taking the course yourself – approximately $50 and 4-5 hours will get you a three year certification from a program like TIPs (Training Intervention Procedures). Spending some time prior to your events to minimize risks and plan for contingencies will save you time and money in the long run.

Photo by Associated Press