How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events
You will NEVER have to spend another sleepless night worrying about your next special event. Former event planner Debra J. Schmidt and publicity expert Joan Stewart have created six audio CDs and a collection of 15 valuable checklists that reveal all the little-known secrets of how to plan and promote sizzling special events.
CREATE THE EVENT YOU CAN BE PROUD OF.
Our ideas will help make you a success, regardless of the type of event you are planning. The strategies in this package can be used by those planning a festival, charity ball, fund-raiser, church event, food fair, school event, open house, black-tie dinner dance, corporate event for clients, arts program, new business opening, concert, training session, convention, health fair, picnic, etc.
 PICTURE YOURSELF AT SUCCESSFUL EVENT?
It's a full two months before your event, and you can barely keep up with reservations. In the subway, at the coffee shop and at the local gym, everybody is buzzing about it. Even the media folks are excited, because you've piqued their interest. Stories and photos are ALREADY showing up in newspapers and on TV. And tickets for the event are flying out the door. Impossible? Not if you know the tricks of planning your event, then promoting it to the hilt.
DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES?
- You don't have a way to stay organized.
- You can't keep your event staff motivated because everybody's bickering and there's too much to do.
- You're buried under scraps of paper, Post-it notes and memos.
- You have an unrealistic budget.
- Nobody has thought about creating a timeline.
- You don't know anybody in the media who can help you publicize the event. But you DO know one thing . . . You're in BIG trouble.
YOUR REPUTATION IS AT STAKE
All it takes is one or two dumb mistakes during the planning, or a missed opportunity to promote, and your event can be a COLOSSAL FLOP. First you must apologize to everyone from your planning committee to hundreds of disappointed guests. Then you have to overcome all the negative publicity. Finally, if it's an annual event, you have to virtually start from scratch next year. Don't risk ruining your reputation or that of your company or nonprofit. Take the time to learn all the fail-safe methods of event planning and promotion. Or you'll hate yourself later.
WHO SHOULD BUY THIS PACKAGE:
- Event and meeting planners
- Corporate HR departments
- Non-profits
- Marketing and PR departments
- PR agencies who publicize their clients' events
- Volunteers
- Fund-raisers
- Community groups
- Schools and colleges
- Arts groups
- Party planners
- Anyone who co-sponsors events
- Media sponsors
DEB AND JOAN KNOW THEIR STUFF
Debra Schmidt worked as community affairs director at an ABC-TV affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She planned hundreds of special events, from community-wide food drives to "The World's Largest Line Dance." Most were wildly successful. A few were flops. She'll share thousands of her best idea for what works and tell you what you need to know to avoid the mistakes she made early in her career as an event planner. Deb is known as "The Loyalty Builder" and knows exactly what it takes to earn customer and volunteer loyalty, particularly when it comes to sponsoring sizzling special events.
Joan Stewart worked as a newspaper editor at three dailies and a weekly business journal and covered hundreds of special events. She shares all the insider secrets of how to get on the media's good side - stuff reporters and editors will NEVER tell you. She levels the playing field for event planners by revealing all the little-known tricks of how to catch the attention of busy reporters, frazzled news directors and grumpy editors. After all, she worked as a grumpy editor and knows the ropes. Thanks to her print and electronic newsletters, media workshops and in-depth special reports, thousands now get publicity who never thought they could.
TIPS THAT WORK
You'll get:
Audio CD 1: The Critical Checklists for Pre-Event Planning
Audio CD 2: Tips for Staging the Event Without a Hitch
Audio CD 3: How to Evaluate Success - and Hot Tips for Follow-Up
Audio CD 4: Laying the Groundwork for Pre-event Publicity
Audio CD 5: How to Lure the Media on the Big Day
Audio CD 6: Secrets for Promoting Your Event Long After It's Over
A data CD of 15 "Can't-do-Without" checklists to make your job hassle-free
SOME OF THE AMAZING HOW-TO SECRETS AND STRATEGIES REVEALED IN THESE UNIQUE AUDIO RECORDINGS:
Audio CD 1: The Critical Checklists for Pre-Event Planning
Thousands of groups stage successful events who never thought they could, thanks in large part to disciplined planning months before the The Big Day. You can too.
You will learn:
- The #1 thing you MUST do before you start planning
- How to decide the type of event that makes the most sense
- How to set realistic goals
- The EASY formula for calculating net profits
- 2 ways to raise money for P.R. if you're CASH-POOR
- The minimum number of months you need to plan most events
- The 2 things you MUST have from your board of directors for a successful event
- A SIMPLE WAY to pinpoint the most successful events in your community
- 6 questions to ask to help you set measurable goals
- The #1 MONEY-WASTER for many special events
- The value of hosting a non-event - and why people will LOVE you
- Examples of catchy themes for your event
- The CRITICAL things to consider when planning weekend events
- The 2 BEST days of the week to sponsor events
- Why your event MUST NEVER conflict with religious and commemorative holidays
- The #1 month to avoid
- 4 things to consider if you sponsor an event for tourists
- The most important thing you must do with your budget
- 3 hidden expenses that will EAT YOU ALIVE!
- The costs-versus-results budget formula
- The POWERFUL benefits of sponsorships and partnerships
- 9 secrets to staying on top of all those details
- 4 tips that will help you set up committees
- Why you MUST have a back-up chair
- Things you must tell each committee chair when you appoint them
- What to look for in the "ideal" volunteer
- The #1 best way to communicate with volunteers
- How to manage the INEVITABLE MOUNTAIN of correspondence
- 6 indexes to include in your planning binder
- The one thing you must NEVER REMOVE from your event binder
- How to print and keep track of invitations
- When to start planning your event
- The 9 traits of an OUTSTANDING chairperson
- The 3 most important things to consider in pre-event planning
Audio CD 2: Tips for Staging the Event Without a Hitch
You don't have to be Martha Stewart to stage a glitch-free event. Here's what you'll learn and what Martha already knows:
- The SIMPLE GIMMICK for invitations to boost the response rate
- Clever ideas for "warm-ups" before you send your invitations
- How to entice your HIGH-ROLLERS
- How to incorporate e-mail into your invitations
- What to do at your web site for a higher response rate
- 9 ideas for targeting invitees
- The SIMPLE FORMULA for knowing how many invitations to send
10 tips for working with caterers
- The #1 food you should try to AVOID
- Another SIMPLE FORMULA to use when ordering food
- Land mines to avoid when serving alcohol
- 6 secrets to avoid draining your budget on expensive locations
- 2 important safety tips to follow if your event is in a LESS-THAN-SAFE location
- 4 LAND MINES TO AVOID when hiring a celebrity
- Clever outside decorations that pump up your guests
- 4 important considerations for centerpieces
- The #1 MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your event you MUST address
- 6 tips for working with photographers
- How to use nifty digital cameras to excite the crowd
- 8 ways to stay out of trouble when hiring professional speakers
- Why you must have a full rehearsal with your speakers
- How to seat the room when attendance is low
- What to do when your keynote speaker cancels
- A/V equipment BOOBY-TRAPS to avoid
- The additional demands of using Power Point presentations
- Things you must know when using an overhead projector
- 3 tips for using microphones
- The critical elements in your Event Survival Kit
- Why you MUST be prepared for a WEATHER DISASTER
- The #1 thing to consider when there's a weather warning
- Repercussions of canceling the event
- Duties of the all-important cleanup committee
- What to do with EXPENSIVE DECORATIONS after the event
Audio CD 3: How to Evaluate Success - and Hot Tips for Follow-Up
See how easily you can judge the success of your event. Then, without skipping a beat, you can start doing some simple things immediately afterward to guarantee success next year.
You will learn:
- 4 ways to encourage guests to return next year.
- 5 things to do so you don't drop the ball
- What goes inside your event scrapbook
- POWERFUL ways to use follow-up testimonials
- 18 ways to measure the success of your event
- 5 things to consider when evaluating your budget
- How to know whether your committees did their jobs
- How to evaluate your event locations
- Tips for doing a debriefing with your sponsor and media partners
- The BEST TIME to ask your media sponsor to join you again next year
- 3 things to do IMMEDIATELY to start planning for next year
- 6 steps you MUST TAKE if your event was a bomb
- 3 once-trendy fund-raisers that are getting stale
- Ideas for breathing life into a dying event
- When you should decide to discontinue your event
- What you MUST KNOW about hiring professional event planners
- 5 ways to use your web site for event follow-up
- 5 ideas for saying "thank you" after the event
- The forgotten groups of people who MUST be given a thanks.
- How to close out the budget process
- Tips for scrutinizing your final bills
- What to ask facility managers to send to you
- 11 items to include in your written recap
- How to start setting up timelines for next year
- Tips for keeping EMOTIONAL DISTANCE between you and the event outcome
- 8 other ways to find special event resources
- Event planner Judy Bartlein's two worst event horror stories
- Event planner Jackie Salentine's two nightmare events
- Meeting and planner Lynn Johnson's potential event disasters.
- How to DIVERT DISASTERS divert disasters by being proactive
Audio CD 4: Laying the Groundwork for Pre-event Publicity
Disinterested print reporters. A teeny-tiny news story two days before the event. No reporters the day of the event. Not so much as a photo. No mention on television. Which of those five familiar publicity problems do you want to overcome?
You will learn:
- Why pre-event publicity is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL
- When to begin publicizing your event
- Tips for working with big-city magazines and little shoppers
- Why you DON'T WANT TO FORGET lower-level publications
- How to create a media plan
- How to use editorial calendars as ROADMAPS TO PUBLICITY
- Tips for making your initial contact with reporters
- The MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION you must ask each media contact
- What are the "MUST DO's" NOW that will get you onto calendar listings later
- 6 valuable tips for schmoozing with reporters
- When to pitch national magazines
- What you must find out about your target audience before you publicize
- Creative tips for brainstorming story ideas
- Who to invite to your brainstorming sessions
- 7 surefire steps for CLINCHING A MEDIA SPONSOR
- What you must NEVER ask your media sponsor to do
- How to start your publicity campaign with TV stations
- The 3 things you must offer to ENTICE A TV SPONSOR
- Tips to stay on track and meet your deadlines
- 4 questions to ask your media sponsor during the debriefing
- All about news releases - where to send them and how often
- Why you must take advantage of POWERFUL PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
- 5 versions of a PSA
- 3 ways to produce a compelling PSA, even if you have no money
- The GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY offered by your local cable TV company
- How to produce an entire series of TV shows for NEXT TO NOTHING
- How to use tip sheets - and why editors love them
- The key elements of a tip sheet
- Examples of tip sheets the MEDIA CAN'T IGNORE
- How to use photos before your event
- Ideas for compelling photos
Audio CD 5: How to Lure the Media on the Big Day
What every event planner ought to know to convince reporters, photographers and news directors that their events absolutely MUST BE COVERED.
You will learn:
- How to keep track of your media contacts with a media database
- Key information you MUST KNOW about every media contact
- 4 ways to pitch your ideas to reporters - and the advantages and disadvantages of each
- How to let the media know about BREAKING NEWS at your event
- Why you MUST LEARN the delicate but powerful 30-second pitch
- A valuable crutch to rely on when pitching over the phone
- Why it's important to know which media are covering your event
- What to fax to TV assignment editors - and the best time to fax it
- How to follow up your pitch
- What to do the day before your event
- How to get onto the TV stations' day books
- The best time of day to call TV stations
- What to expect from a weekend news staff
- The #1 news show on TV that pulls the greatest number of viewers
- Why you must NEVER PRESSURE REPORTERS to cover your event
- What to do when the media won't cover you
- 3 things you must never do if reporters REFUSE TO COVER YOU
- How to customize your story pitches
- Why you must NEVER pull strings to get publicity
- 3 ways to make it easier for reporters to cover your event
- Where to seat media people at your event
- 5 amenities you should offer the media
- Why you shouldn't baby sit reporters
- Why CELL PHONES are a must.
- Key information reporters will expect you to give them at the event
- Why you must NEVER order photographers to take certain photos.
Audio CD 6: Secrets for Promoting Your Event Long After It's Over
You can stop worrying about next year's event and start guaranteeing success when you promote, promote, promote as soon as this year's event is over.
You will learn:
- The FIRST THING you must do after the event.
- Why you MUST CORRECT ERRORS in news stories
- The value of powerful testimonials
- How to collect testimonials
- What makes a GREAT TESTIMONIAL that will pull visitors next year
- The MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT of every testimonial you gather
- How to get PAID ADS FOR FREE using testimonials
- How to squeeze EVERY LAST DROP of publicity from your event
- 2 ways to use op-ed pages
- Ideas for follow-up stories you can pitch
- 10 questions to ask yourself during a publicity debriefing
- How to create a day, week or month of the year related to your event
- Valuable "sound bites" to use after your event
- Key feedback you should give to the media to get YET ANOTHER STORY
- A sneaky way to get post-event publicity
- How to do a debriefing with your media sponsor
- What to say during the debriefing if you didn't like their news coverage
- What you should NEVER tell the media if your event bombs
- When and how to apologize
- The key difference between print and broadcast corrections
- What to do with your publicity materials after the event
- How to make reprints on a SHOESTRING BUDGET
- How to use VIDEO REPRINTS
- What to do about the high cost of reprints
- How to make best use of your web-site after the event
- Tips for gearing up for next year
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CHECKLISTS
With this vast array of checklists, you'll have an immediate guide every time you reach a critical point in the event planning and promotion process . . . Remember you won't always have time to hunt for this information. You'll need it NOW!
You will get:
- 28 items to include on your budget checklist
- 12 questions to help you determine the best location for your event
- 8 fail-safe ways to stay out of trouble when serving food and alcohol
- 10 tips for working with celebrities and professional entertainers
- The 14 items to include in your Special Event Survival Kit
- Event Countdown: What to do 3, 2 and 1 month before the event, and 2 weeks before
- 68 reasons to send the media a news release about your event
- 18 questions that will help you define your publicity goals
- 24 things to know about each media contact
- 7 tips for creating a Media Plan
- A sample 12-month Media Plan
- 22 questions to help you brainstorm story ideas
- Example of the type of tip sheet the media love
- 14 items to include in your all-important media kit
- 35 things to consider when judging the success of your event
PLUS YOU'LL GET
Wonderful examples of the most successful fund-raisers
Examples of those that bombed, and why
Joan's best secrets for things reporters LOVE to find at events
Deb's best tips for saving yourself valuable time and money
YOU WILL SAVE YOURSELF THOUSANDS
You would spend literally thousands of dollars and thousands of hours compiling all the tips in this package. We don't know of one event planner who has that luxury. Your time and effort should be spent filling in the blanks and using the information in this package to come up with creative ideas for planning and promotion. You shouldn't be wasting your time tracking down the thousands of little details we have provided here for you.
And do you know how much special event planners and professional publicists cost? You can easily pay $20,000 to a professional planner to attend to the details of your event. As for publicity, big PR firms might charge you as much as a $5,000 a month retainer. If you want help implementing the ideas you see here, you can get what you need for free. We tell you everything you need to know about the care and feeding of volunteers.
YOU'LL BE CRANKING OUT GREAT IDEAS WITHIN MINUTES
Pop these audio CDs into your car on the way to work, on the way to shopping, or on the road or in the air during a long business trip. Then return to the office with dozens of creative ideas in your head for planning and promoting your special event.
Savvy event planners don't spend their hard-earned dollars so that someone else can do their work for them. They keep their money - and their organization's money - and learn how to get VOLUNTEERS to carry out event duties through smart planning and delegating. Then, together, everyone can bask in the glory when the event is a success.
This package of audio CDs and checklists is dedicated to helping you dazzle your guests. Thousands of hours of hard work, mistakes and research went into How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events. Your wise investment for this breakthrough information that would take you years to compile is only $247.
MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
Get How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events right now - at our risk. As with all our products, your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you can't find at least 20 techniques in this package that will work for your fund-raiser, then we don't want you to pay.
$247 for the Audio CDs or the instantly-downloadable 149 page Text Transcript or get them both for just $297
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Best Value!
Order both the 149 page instantly downloadable transcript and the 6 audio CDs plus the data CD containing the 15 event checklists (the CDs will be shipped to you) for just $297 (and save $200!)
$297 + s&h (for the CDs)
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Order the 149 page instantly downloadable transcript, save the shipping costs, and start profiting from this material today!
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Order the 6 Audio CDs and a 7th data CD containing the 15 event checklists
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P.S. Still not absolutely not convinced you should have this powerful tool? To show you we mean business, here are 3 of the valuable checklists you'll find in this information-packed package for free:
Event Location Checklist
Event Publicity Goals Checklist
Sample Tip Sheet
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