Archive for the ‘Event Resources’ category

How to ‘Green’ your event !!

July 31st, 2010

iStock_000007098732XSmallGoing green seems to be the buzz nowadays. Wherever you go, anything and everything is ‘going green’. And rightly so. They say, “The grass is greener on the other side”. We say, ‘Let’s make it greener on every side !!’. With that in mind, we present to you some of the Greenovative ways that would not only help you reduce the carbon footprint but also help your event stand out.

E-Marketing

Yes, you guessed it right. We will be trying to make all our initiatives in this post start with an ‘e’. Social marketing has been growing by leaps and bounds. And understanding its importance, we have already suggested (the link to the social marketing blog here) how you can leverage them to market your event. With networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Ning, you don’t need to send flyers all over your neighborhood. Create groups, shout it out or simply tweet it. The best part is? With the activity these sites are witnessing, the online discussions will dwarf the offline ones. Market your event online and save some paper.

E-viting

No more invites to anyone. Let us e-vite the attendees. Stop sending any card invitations or anything else that makes use of paper. We don’t think there’s anyone left on this planet who does not have an email id (okay, that may not be entirely true). So, why send any other kind of invitation. And with the presence of online event registration websites like Eventzilla that can cater to custom invitations of any kind, you can spice it up all you want.

Green Teams

Form teams and go on green expeditions. Well, you don’t have to go cleaning the Himalayas in your first mission itself. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of your neighborhood? It may be a park, a school, a garden, anything at all.  These activities not only help you foster a stronger relation with your attendees, they help you become more aware about their needs and expectations as well. And of course, you are helping the environment !!

Greenest of them all

What better way to have fun while going green than contests. Challenge your participants to come up with new and radical ideas that can help them do more for the environment. Or, you could ask them to make something greener in your surroundings with the existing set of tools. There is really no dearth of the ideas when it comes to contests. Keep twisting and turning them to keep your audience glued to their seats, every time.

Something to the Society

Want to make a difference? Ask your attendees to bring one item they feel they can live without, which, would help improve the greenery in their surroundings. Not only will this help them feel involved, it will also create a buzz around your event without any marketing from your end. This initiative helps you stand out as it shows that you are not limited to your event and are honestly committed to making a difference to the planet.

E-Marketing
Yes, you guessed it right. We will be trying to make all our initiatives in this post start with an ‘e’. Social marketing has been growing by leaps and bounds. And understanding its importance, we have already suggested (the link to the social marketing blog here) how you can leverage them to market your event. With networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Ning, you don’t need to send flyers all over your neighborhood. Create groups, shout it out or simply tweet it. The best part is? With the activity these sites are witnessing, the online discussions will dwarf the offline ones. Market your event online and save some paper.

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Recent technology trends in Event Management

July 27th, 2010

iStock_000009648196XSmallNow the event attendees can ask questions to the speaker via tweets or Facebook comments real time during an event. With the world tweeting away night and day, there is no doubt that technology has changed our life completely. And this change is not limited to the World Wide Web either; it is fast percolating to the other activities and business spheres as well.  As the gadgetry world over goes through a makeshift each day, so do the businesses associated. Here we have a look at some of the technological trends and innovations that are changing the way we think about events and event management.

The FIFA World Cup this year was a lot of fun for us. And we are not talking about football. Our excitement was because of this cool application that had been created especially for the World Cup that highlighted the real time schedule of the games and results as they took place. This event alerted us to the huge potential that has hardly been scratched. An event application speaks volumes about the planner’s commitment to the event and excites the attendees equally.

The Stage Show

The drastic improvements in the Audio-Video equipments, staging and lighting instruments have made sure that you need to make your event stand out. No more can you pass off an event with just a great speaker. Even with the best of the content and ingredients, you need to upgrade the stage show to make sure that the attendees are left wonder struck. The advancements though, have made sure that this does not become a Herculean task. So, the next time you are planning an event, make sure that you ‘light’ out the event.

Live Meetings

The barriers have been stomped down and the walls have fallen.  Technology has made sure that geographical impediments no more stop you from attending an event half way round the world. The webinars and live meetings are the newest venues for events the world over. Planners and event managers are going all out to accommodate their eager attendees, wherever they may be.

The Social Explosion

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have completely altered the way we think about event promotion.  Letters are antiquated and emails outdated. Nowadays, you ‘tweet’ and ‘poke’ your way around the events. From creating a fan page to a social group, there are numerous ways to announce your event to the world. And more importantly, like everything else, you get to reach out to your target audience around the world in real time. Discuss the event, highlights and all that excites you even before the event takes place.

Mobiles Applications

With the advent of the iPhones, Androids and Blackberrys, smart phone applications have become the next-gen platform for event management. From charting an event to locating it on the map, you can do it all on your mobile.  Mobile Apps nowadays have become advanced enough to take care of almost all your needs and it was time you acknowledged this. The sooner we realize the future role of smart phone apps, the better it will be for our business.

Online Event Registration Apps – Just for you!!

Recently – online registration for events has taken the center stage with a lot of small players like Eventzilla.  It is simple to setup custom registration forms, promote on Facebook, send email invitations and manage cancellations in one place. Event attendees can register online and make secure online payments.

Technology is rapidly changing the way events are organized around the world. The question is; Are you a part of that change?

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Step by Step Tutorial : Setting up an online registration form for your event

July 21st, 2010

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Online Event Registration – FAQs

July 18th, 2010

online_event_registration1. What is Online Event Registration?

Online event registration allows event attendees to register online (RSVP) and make secure payments easily.  Event organizers can setup custom registration forms, deliver branded tickets on email, manage cancellations using an online event registration service like Eventzilla.net

2. What is Eventzilla.net?

Eventzilla is an inexpensive online event registration and ticketing website to list your event details, collect secure payments from attendees, promote your events using email marketing, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and manage cancellations in one place.

3. What types of events can I manage with Eventzilla?

Eventzilla can be used to manage registrations and payments for a variety of events ranging from business conferences, seminars, training events, fund raising events, cooking classes, language classes, fitness classes, computer  training classes,  tour packages, workshop registration, live concerts, comedy shows, expos, webinars, local meetups, marathon events and much more.

4. How much does it cost to use Eventzilla?

Free events = Free
Paid events = $1/attendee (You pay only when you make a sale)

Setup costs = None

Fees for ticket sales in Indian Rupees:  4.75%+Rs 5/attendee

Please check the pricing page for more international currencies support and fees.

5. Does Eventzilla support multiple currencies?

Yes – Eventzilla currently support 24 different world currencies including USD, CAD, GPD, EURO, AUD and Indian Rupees. Please check the pricing page for more details.

6. What do I need to get started?

A valid email address and a PayPal account. You can sign up for a free account at eventzilla to sell tickets/registrations online and we direct all the payments from your event sales directly to your PayPal account.

Eventzilla will send you an invoice at the end of every month for the fees that your incurred from ticket sales and you can easily pay the fees online.

For Indian Customers:
You just need a valid email address. We use CC Avenue/Citibank for securely processing payments for your events in Indian Rupees and we deliver the payments to your bank account every Month.

7. Can I create a repeating event with Eventzilla?

Yes – You can use our easy to use calendar widget to select recurring event dates up to 1 year.

8. How do I share the event details with my contacts?

Eventzilla allows you to create a unique subdomain like http://your-event-name.eventzilla.net – which can be shared with your potential target audience. In addition to this event web page – you can also easily embed the registration/ticket details in your website, blog, email marketing, Facebook, Twitter etc to promote your events in minutes.

9. Can I add different registration / ticket types for my event?

Yes. You can create early bird pricing with specific start date and end date, regular pricing and even onsite pricing as different options for registering to your event.

10. Can I send email invitations to my contacts?

Yes. You can import your existing contacts easily and send a professional looking email invitation announcing your event easily. (Daily limit for sending email invitations: 2000)

11.Can I pass on the Eventzilla service  fee to my attendees?

Yes. When you setup the event ticket / registration types you have an option to make your event attendees pay the small convenience fee. This means you pay absolutely nothing for using Eventzilla.

12. Can I create discount codes for my events?

Yes. You can add one or many special discount codes for your event which can be used by your attendees on checkout.

1. What is Online Event Registration?

Online event registration allows event attendees to register online (RSVP) and make secure payments easily. Event organizers can setup custom registration forms, deliver branded tickets on email, manage cancellations etc., using a online event registration service like Eventzilla.net

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25 things that you need to know to host successful events

July 16th, 2010

There have been long sermons on how to make an event an absolute success. Forget the lectures and the dissertations, here’s your short and simple guide to a successful event!!

iStock_000010884482XSmall

  1. Understand your objectives and set clear, well defined goals for the event.
  2. Choose the right set of people you’ll work with on the event.
  3. Prepare a checklist for everything that you are going to need.
  4. Prepare your budget according to the checklist.
  5. Plan everything in advance. Remain a step ahead of the preparation schedule.
  6. Choose a venue that suits your event.
  7. Make sure you know your target audience inside out.
  8. Make an initial list of invitees from past contacts and events.
  9. Finalize the list to include only those who will benefit from the event.
  10. Setup online event registration forms and send personal invitations to the invitees.
  11. Market your event in the right directions and amongst the right people.
  12. Create a social media strategy for your event on Twitter and Facebook.
  13. Run a quick survey to know more about your audience.
  14. Get hosts for the event and name tags for the attendees.
  15. Keep in touch with the venue coordinators constantly.
  16. Make sure the audio video arrangements are in proper order.
  17. Keep tabs on the quality of food that will be served.
  18. Space out the different sections of the event and give time for breaks.
  19. Make sure the event theme gets proper attention in the decorations.
  20. Work on a feedback form that helps you understand your audience better.
  21. Check final arrangements on the last day.
  22. Make sure there are no last minute hiccups.
  23. Present highlights of your next event at the end.
  24. Give the audience something to remember you, when they leave.
  25. Celebrate the event with your team. They deserve it!

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Online Event Registration and Ticket Solution : Eventzilla

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5 Tips for choosing the right venue for your event

July 15th, 2010

iStock_000000898368XSmallWhen you invite people to an event, apart from the theme of the event, the other most important thing that factors into the decision of most of the attendees, is the venue. And which is why, we have tried to outline the 5 critical factors that you should keep in mind before zeroing in on your venue. If you are an event planner or someone who is about to host an event, you will understand the importance of a venue more than anyone else.

1.Location

The importance of the location cannot be stressed enough. We must understand that no-one will visit an event; however they may like it, if it is too far or improbable for them do so. Nobody likes to spend time traveling and hence, when deciding on your venue, you must keep this in mind. Have a look at your expected attendees and then choose a location that would seem appropriate to most of them.

2.Size

Have you ever been in an overcrowded room? Did you like it? Well, of course you didn’t. No one does. Hence, while choosing a venue, make sure that the place would still have some breathing space after all of your guests have arrived.

3.Amenities

Although most of the venues today provide the basic amenities and facilities that would be required during an event, be sure to check that they exist and have been well maintained. You don’t want to spend time on the D-Day sorting out parking problems!

4.The Price

While choosing a venue, more often than not, the deciding factor comes out to be the price. The essential thing is to maintain a balance. You don’t want overspend on the venue as that would mean curtailing your other expenses unnecessarily. At the same time, don’t just settle for the one that has the lowest pricing on the radar. Analyze your budget and see how much you can allocate to the venue without disturbing the rest of the plan.

5.The Visit

It is always advisable to visit the venue and check out all the facilities for yourself. Try and a have a look at some of the previous events that had been hosted at the venue and you would have a better understanding of the place.

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Online Event Registration and Ticketing made easy at Eventzilla

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How to setup a custom online registration form for your event?

July 12th, 2010

Eventzilla collects the following information from attendees during the registration process.

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Email

If you plan to collect additional information from your attendees, you can customize the registration to suit your needs.

Two flexible options for collecting attendee information

1. Only the buyer enters the requested information during registration
(Let’s say there is a group of people attending your event and one of them registers online – you can choose to  collect the registration information only for the buyer and not from all the attendees using this option)

2. All the attendees enter the requested registration information during registration
(Let’s say there is a group of people attending your event and one of them registers online – you can choose to  collect the registration information from all the attendees using this option)

Steps to add a custom registration form for your event.

1. Sign in to http://www.eventzilla.net

2. Complete “adding a new event” or Edit an existing event from “Manage Events” section

3. Select “custom registration” link and select the additional fields that you want to collect in your event registration form. Eventzilla provides a set of basic demographic collection fields that you can choose from and also add your own custom field, which you want your attendee to fill.

  • Phone
  • Company
  • Occupation
  • Country
  • Address
  • Website

4. You can also add your own custom registration fields  in the same page. Example: Attendees Twitter ID’s, Facebook Page URL etc.,

configure_custom_registration

If you plan to collect additional information from your attendees, you can customize the registration to suit your needs. Eventzilla provides a set of basic demographic collection fields that you can choose from and also add your own custom field, which you want your attendee to fill.

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Eventzilla.net – See how it works in 2 minutes

May 9th, 2010

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How to get more attendees for your events in a downturn economy?

April 29th, 2010

AttendeesWith the recession stinging the party that was going on prior to its occurrence, there have been a lot of things that have been impacted by the same. The most important outcome of this has been that although the events would continue to occur as they did previously, they would have to present more substantial and clearly focused outcomes. This may seem to be an easy thing to say but any event planner would tell you how hard it is to get the right people to your events.

Managing events and getting attendees to your events is quite a job in itself but if you cannot find the right people to attend your events, that is a big let down. And with the attendance remaining slim during the recessionary period, let us look at some methods that can help you get that elusive lot.

Promote It

Recession or not, the most important tool for attracting attention to your event is still promotion. And with the Internet revolution that has everyone hooked on, what better place to reach out to millions of your potential attendees. With the advent of websites like Eventzilla, you can promote your event almost everywhere on the net with just a click. Whether it’s Facebook or twitter, blogs or customized webpages, use them all to get your event out there.

Webinars are another great concept that can help you reach out to people globally without worrying about boundaries and timings. Here’s something on webinars that would get you thinking.

Remain in touch

Try and remain in touch with the people you expect to see during your events. This takes care of two things. Firstly, it reminds the person of the event and tells him that you are interested in the people who are going to attend. This may not be a big step for you but it would go a long way in making sure that people attend your events.

Making an event successful depends on a lot of things and one of the critical factors is how engaged you keep your audience. This also ensures that next time you do something similar, you would already have a loyal audience to bank upon.

An analysis is another aspect that can help you understand the kind of people who are interested in the event. Using Eventzilla, you can also check out who is buying tickets for your events and how many people are visiting your events webpage.

The Invitation

As they say, make them an offer they can’t refuse. Simply put, make a professional event invitation, one that would be quite hard to turn down. How do you do that? By giving them what they seek.

The essence and secret to successfully inviting the right set of people is honesty. Reach out to people who can really benefit from what you have to offer and the rest will take care of itself.

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How to host a successful webinar?

April 26th, 2010

The newest way to hold a seminar, a webinar is fast catching on the attention of event planners the world over. The webinar has earned accolades for removing those difficulties from the event manager’s catalog which had been troubling them for long. Time and distance have ceased to be of any importance or hindrance now. Since you don’t need to be physically present at a given place for a webinar, it has allowed the audience for the hosts and the speakers to increase manifold.

As we come to understand the increasingly pivotal role that webinars are going to play in the event management of coming years, here’s a look at some of the factors and methods that can help you host an engaging and successful webinar that leaves the audience asking for more.

Plan it out

Planning becomes crucial with a webinar as you handle an audience that transcends geographical boundaries. You may need to host the event more than once to accommodate people of differing time zones. You may also want to avoid the peak or working hours to avoid low attendance.

Quality Content

Even with all the technology and know-how, any webinar and its success would ultimately still depend on the kind of content that you have. And since the factor of personal interaction is no more available to enthrall your audience, the content quality assumes even more importance.

Captivate them

From animation to photos and flash to web demos, trying using any visual aid that you feel would make your webinar more interesting. Try to engage them in the presentation by asking questions or having a poll. Whether it is the chat feature or the Q&A, plan and assign things in a way that allow your audience to take as much part in the presentation as possible.

Webinar tools and softwares

If you are going to be hosting webinars on a regular basis, you should definitely have a look at the webinar tools that are available in the market. But before you do that, here are some of the questions that would help you in choosing the right set:

- Webinar Objective
- Expected events to be held per month
- Estimated Budget for the webinars
- Technological requirements

The set of tools ( webex, gotomeeting, dimdim, fuzemeeting ) that you would be using would depend on the requirements and not anything else. Hence the increased assertion on understanding the parameters involved.

Publicity

And like anywhere else, in the end, it comes down to publicity. And when it comes to publicity on the web world, what better place than Eventzilla to kick-start the promotional brigade? With Eventzilla, not only can you promote your event on your own websites and blogs, you can do the same on any web address you can think of. Add to that the latest social media paparazzi like Facebook and Twitter and you have the perfect recipe for a successful webinar.

Oh, did we mention that you can also make your own customized web page for promoting your events (who needs a website anymore!).

How to host a successful webinar

The newest way to hold a seminar, a webinar is fast catching on the attention of event planners the world over. The webinar has earned accolades for removing those difficulties from the event manager’s catalog which had been troubling them for long. Time and distance have ceased to be of any importance or hindrance now. Since you don’t need to be physically present at a given place for a webinar, it has allowed the audience for the hosts and the speakers to increase manifold.

As we come to understand the increasingly pivotal role that webinars are going to play in the event management of coming years, here’s a look at some of the factors and methods that can help you host an engaging and successful webinar that leaves the audience asking for more.

Ø Quality Content

Even with all the technology and know-how, any webinar and its success would ultimately still depend on the kind of content that you have. And since the factor of personal interaction is no more available to enthrall your audience, the content quality assumes even more importance.

Ø Captivate them

From animation to photos and flash to web demos, trying using any visual aid that you feel would make your webinar more interesting. Try to engage them in the presentation by asking questions or having a poll. Whether it is the chat feature or the Q&A, plan and assign things in a way that allow your audience to take as much part in the presentation as possible.

Ø Plan it out

Planning becomes crucial with a webinar as you handle an audience that transcends geographical boundaries. You may need to host the event more than once to accommodate people of differing time zones. You may also want to avoid the peak or working hours to avoid low attendance.

Ø Webinar tools and softwares

If you are going to be hosting webinars on a regular basis, you should definitely have a look at the webinar tools that are available in the market. But before you do that, here are some of the questions that would help you in choosing the right set:

ü Webinar Objective

ü Expected events to be held per month

ü Estimated Budget for the webinars

ü Technological requirements

The set of tools that you would be using would depend on the requirements and not anything else. Hence the increased assertion on understanding the parameters involved.

Ø Publicity

And like anywhere else, in the end, it comes down to publicity. And when it comes to publicity on the web world, what better place than Eventzilla to kick-start the promotional brigade? With Eventzilla, not only can you promote your event on your own websites and blogs, you can do the same on any web address you can think of. Add to that the latest social media paparazzi like Facebook and Twitter and you have the perfect recipe for a successful webinar.

Oh, did we mention that you can also make your own customized web page for promoting your events (who needs a website anymore!).

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