By: Yana Verbitskaia

For 18 months (and counting), event professionals around the world have been immersed in learning new technologies and virtual event experience platforms, while having to reimagine every element of an event while maintaining the integrity of its purpose. 

From finding ways to connect and reach people beyond their computer screens to focussing on sponsor and partner ROI, there have been no shortage of challenges.

As the world opens back up for travel and in-person connection, we know there will continue to be challenges to address. Not only do organizations now need to consider how (or whether) to incorporate a virtual experience offering for their events moving forward (because, let’s face it, the future is hybrid), but they also need to take special care in ensuring that in-person experiences are safe, welcoming, and respectful of attendees with a variety of comfort levels being back in group settings.

Here at LOMA, we were thrilled to have had the recent opportunity to dip our proverbial toes back in to the in-person events waters. The team at Achievers tasked us with creating a safe but exciting grand opening celebration and office tour for their employees in their brand-new headquarters in Toronto. For many attendees, this was the first time they would be meeting their colleagues in person after over a year of working together virtually.

With over 200 team members excited to attend and capacity restrictions only just starting to ease up, we had to find a way to ensure attendees’ safety and comfort first while still creating a memorable experience. 

Here are a few tactics we employed to accomplish both goals:

1. We had guests sign up for one of 10 timeslots throughout the day, each holding a maximum of 20 participants to keep groups small. Each group was required to complete a COVID screening questionnaire before entering the premises, and masks were required anytime they weren’t eating or drinking.
   
2. We very strategically mapped out the walking tour of the office for Achievers executives to ensure that there was zero overlap of groups or crossing of paths, and that there was sufficient time between tours to clean and sanitize key, high-touch areas.
   
3. Each tour was staffed with an event concierge whose main responsibility was keeping the tour moving and on time to avoid any backlog. They also kept our core event team at each tour stop updated on the group’s location so entertainment and catering could be cued as needed!
   
4. Food was pre-packaged and beverages were pre-poured by catering staff to eliminate communal serving utensils or touch points. And boy, was it all delicious!
   
5. Fun (but brief) experiences were sprinkled throughout the three floors of the office to keep the entire tour lively but moving. There was a saxophone player in the hidden Speakeasy space, and a steel drum player giving life to the Retreat area (along with pre-poured tropical mocktails – yum!). The yoga room was filled with calming scents and sounds using a zen playlist and essential oils diffuser.
   
6. Gifting was ready to grab and go for each group upon departure to minimize clusters in a small space.

The day was full of energy, laughter and excitement, and we were so proud to be a part of building that experience with the Achievers team.

Here at LOMA Agency, we like to do things a little differently. This includes everything from the innovative ideas and solutions we bring to our events, right through to the talent we retain at the highest levels of our agency — broadening the scope of what a true leadership team looks like.

This Employee Appreciation Day, instead of chronicling the career path of your more traditional C-level roles, such as CFOs, COOs, or the C-Oh-Nos, we choose to mark the occasion by profiling the highly sought after CCO: The Chief Cuddle Officer.

Check out our exclusive interview with our trailblazing team member who has taken the emerging “cuddle” industry by storm: LOMA Agency’s own Chief Cuddle Officer, Biggie Maisels.

Interviewer:

Welcome, Biggie. Thanks for speaking with us today. To begin with, can you walk us through a typical day at the office for a Chief Cuddle Officer?

Biggie:
When I’m not working remotely, I usually get into the office just before 9am each day. I like to arrive before the rest of the team so that I can scramble to the door and greet them with my signature bark, happy dance and sometimes kisses. I think it really sets the tone for the day.

On Mondays specifically, we have our all-staff morning huddle to review the priorities and projects for the week. As the CCO, my role is more emotional than practical so I tend to let everyone else have the floor while I meander from seat to seat, or lap to lap, depending on where I feel I’m most needed. I can’t say I’m always aware of what they’re talking about, but if I ever feel I’m losing focus, I simply choose a colleague to stare at intensely and eventually their heart will melt and all of the attention will be on me again. As it should be.

On occasion, we may encounter visitors throughout the day. Everyone from couriers, to vendors, to friends in neighbouring offices. We ensure safety protocols are in place by having our guests knock first and wait outside, and the rhythmic tapping on our door — no matter how light — always perks me right up. So much so that you can always count on me to deliver a shrill howl so piercing that each guest is well aware of who’s in charge around here. I like to think I double as security.

By lunch I’m usually pretty wiped and I have one of my handlers pick me up so that I can associate with some of my peers from the Cuddle Industry in a nearby park.

Interviewer:
So you only work half days?

Biggie:
Well “work” is subjective. Is panicking when my human steps outside to grab a coffee or attend a meeting without me work? Is eating small pieces of paper or plastic from the ground throughout the day work? Is opening and closing the boardroom door loudly during conference calls work? I would say yes. And I do all of these things more than anyone else on the team, so a “half” day isn’t really accurate. It’s a full day of work by the time I leave.

Interviewer:
Okay fair enough. Did you always know you wanted to be a Chief Cuddle Officer or were there other roles you had your eyes on in the past?

Biggie:
Not always, no. I used to have dreams about chasing my own tail and I always thought that’s how I would be spending most of my day. However, once I saw the joy that my mere presence and attention brought to others, I knew I found my calling.

Interviewer:
What would you say differentiates you from other Chief Cuddle Officers out there?

Biggie:
I think I provide an element of surprise that most CCOs don’t. For example, I could be perfectly content and half-asleep on your lap one moment, but the second I hear a car door close gently down the block, I’m up and on my feet so fast you’re going to hope your coffee’s got a lid.

I also don’t play favourites. I am just as eager to greet and cuddle each and every one of my colleagues every day, I don’t even need a treat. But there is a special jar in the kitchen with my name on it

Interviewer:
Sounds like it’s a dream job. Are there any downsides to being a CCO?

Biggie:
Well if I’m being completely honest, it isn’t all sun naps and liver treats. Part of being a Chief Cuddle Officer means being the cutest employee which is a blessing and a curse. I’m often being dressed in mini-sweaters, jackets, Halloween costumes, etc. My team love seeing me all gussied up on whatever seasonal couture they’ve discovered online, but for me it is NOT fun.

I prefer a natural look. I can tell that it’s just something I need to get used to, however. With my birthday quickly approaching, I’m certain there’s a celebratory hat my human just can’t wait to get on me.

Interviewer:
What advice do you have for other young pups with CCO aspirations?

Biggie:
Be yourself. If you like to make a scene every time you see a familiar face, make a scene. If you want to take your treats and eat them in a very specific corner and in a very specific way, you do you. If you want to make a fuss about going outside and then avoid being leashed, THAT’S OKAY TOO.

At the end of the day, if your cuddle game is strong and your face is squishable and sweet, there’s nothing that will stand in your way of rising up through the ranks to be the CCO of your company too.

At the start of 2020, our team ushered in the new decade by launching the inaugural LOMA List: a report analyzing event marketing trends with a focus on creating sustainable and inclusive experiences for all.

The report posited that our progressive attitudes towards societal “norms” related to race, gender, the environment, and the economy would impact our event marketing and planning strategies in the years to come.

But by early March 2020, while our team prepared to launch a large scale, in-person conference in San Francisco, the threat of COVID-19 had begun to unfold all around us, eventually gripping the entire world, exposing socioeconomic inequities and crippling various industries, including our own.

Unsurprisingly, this past year, planners have shown great resilience in the face of so much uncertainty. Shared learnings, newly integrated technologies, and a steely determination to bring people together, propelled planners to forge ahead and create meaningful virtual experiences for audiences globally. After all, who better to understand the importance of adapting to changing circumstances – often with limited time and resources – than an event professional?

Now almost one year later, with a vaccine in distribution, a return to in-person events is within reach. Therefore, event planners must once again rise to the occasion, this time placing a heightened priority on new tools, processes and safety protocols, to create unique and inclusive hybrid experiences for both in-person and virtual audiences.

Click on here to download your copy of the 2021 LOMA List

The Canadian Nurses Foundation supports world-class Canadian health care by raising funds to advance nursing knowledge and research, and by recognizing professional merit in Canada’s nurses.

The annual CNF fundraising gala usually takes place in-person in Ottawa, welcoming 500 guests to acknowledge nursing heroes and raise funds for their various programs.

2020 marked their 10th year hosting this special evening, but the pandemic forced the foundation to cancel the in-person gala and begin discussions on hosting the event virtually.

With the World Health Organization marking 2020/2021 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and the pandemic continuing to take its toll on healthcare workers, it was clear that now more than ever nurses needed support nationwide.

In August 2020, LOMA Agency was awarded the opportunity to produce the CNF’s first ever virtual gala experience.

We immediately got started building a program that would allow guests to still have an immersive experience while achieving the event goals: to thank and celebrate nurses and frontline workers and raise funds for the CNF COVID-19 Fund and Foresight 2020 campaigns.

THEME: CNF Nightingale MaskerAide – A Virtual Celebration of Nurses

The CNF Nightingale Gala was originally named to pay homage to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. As 2020 would mark her 200^th birthday, we wanted to reinvent the gala theme for the virtual realm, while still ensuring to maintain her presence.

Additionally, with masks playing such a huge role as a first line of defense in protecting oneself and our communities, we felt it was also important to incorporate them somehow into the gala to mark such a crucial year for nurses.

And so, flipping the traditional Masquerade on its head, the Nightingale MaskerAide was born, a play on words that perfectly communicated the CNF’s goal to create an evening that would raise money to aid nurses nationwide.

Leveraging a virtual photobooth, guests had the opportunity to take photos of themselves enjoying the evening and personalize their photos with various backgrounds, stickers and masks, and then share their photo on social media tagging #cnfmaskeraide.

PROGRAM LINEUP: Featuring Canadian headliner, Serena Ryder!

It was clear that come December 3^rd (when the event was scheduled to take place) that everyone would be experiencing virtual event fatigue, and so we wanted this experience to be different.

The event took place from 7:30pm-9pm EST, with “doors” opening at 7:30pm and the main program capped to one hour. Providing access to the event portal 30mins prior to show time allowed attendees to login and get familiar with the virtual environment before the program began at 8pm EST.

Since going virtual allowed us to reach a national audience, it was important to consider various time zones. Our 7:30pm EST start allowed attendees on the West and East coasts to participate at reasonable hours in their respective regions.

Thanks to our media partner ETALK, we had the lovely Traci Melchor host the evening and she was incredible. We can’t stress this enough: having a professional and talented host is key to keeping your gala program flowing and on track!

The hour incorporated live and recorded performances by Serena Ryder, TikTok superstar Notorious Cree and AGT Finalist Roberta Battagalia. We also had messages from premiers and ministers nationwide, and live interviews with five special nurses who were nominated via the #ThankANurse campaign we had leading up to the evening. We then recognized all of the over 100 nominated nurses with a special slideshow underscored by the Claps that Count soundtrack.

VIRTUAL PLATFORM: An Immersive Experience

 After evaluating various technology for the Nightingale MaskerAide, we partnered with vFAIRS to create an immersive gala experience where attendees would be able to not only view the main program, but also access various event components throughout the evening, including live chat, a virtual photo booth, and sponsor activations; downloadable resources and an on-demand recording of the event were available for 30 days post-event to maximize the experience.

Attendees needed to register and purchase a ticket to access the event on December 3^rd. Ticket packages ranged from $50 for students through to $3,500 for organizations seeking to accommodate group sales.

 There were also packages that allowed attendees to either receive a snack bag in advance to enjoy alongside the gala or a celebratory swag bag with special items such as a gold sequin mask handmade by a Toronto designer.

On the big night, all attendees had to do was login to the event using the email address they used to register, and they immediately would see the virtual grand entrance to the event. Once inside the atrium, they were greeted by a welcome video from CNF CEO Christine Rieck Buckley, which helped to set the tone for the evening.

From there, in addition to the main stage, attendees could now take advantage of the allocated time to explore the Sponsor Networking Lounge, which was host to booths from top tier sponsors such as Johnson & Johnson with offers and information on their products/services; and the Networking Lounge, which provided access to the virtual photobooth, silent auction, various social media channels, and of course, the chat room.

The chat room allowed attendees to chat one on one or within a channel, as well as call one another using audio and/or video during the event.

Below is a video that allows you to experience the virtual gala environment in 60 seconds!

VIRTUAL GALA SUCCESS: Highlights from the evening

We were honoured to be able to produce this event for the CNF and are thrilled to share some key highlights from the evening:

• We had 600+ attendees from across Canada, creating a national stage for the CNF for the first time in our gala’s 10-year history
• We recognized over 100 nurses nationally, as part of our #ThankANurse campaign
• #CNFMaskerAide was trending in the top 10 on Twitter Canada
• We received over 15-million media impressions as part of our national media campaign and partnership with ETALK Canada
• Our audience was actively engaged throughout the entire event, particularly in our networking lounges and virtual photo booth
• Everyone enjoyed performances from TikTok superstar Notorious Cree, Canadian icon Serena Ryder, AGT finalist Roberta Battaglia and the evening was extra special thanks to our lovely host, Traci Melchor.
• Fundraising goals were met to support their COVID-19 Fund and Foresight 2020 Campaigns and other programs.

Thank you to program sponsors for all of your support and to all those who attended and donated!

The 2020 holiday season may look different for your organization, but there are still reasons to celebrate! You and your teams have undoubtedly been working overtime this year, facing the added challenge of adapting to a new work structure, environment and routine. The juggling act of trying to maintain a pre-pandemic work-life balance under these new and uncertain circumstances is not easy; taking care of one’s physical and mental well-being, while attempting to maintain productivity levels, is something to be recognized and acknowledged.

Our team has been supporting various virtual events and have compiled some ideas for you to consider when planning your upcoming virtual holiday celebrations.

1. There’s Always Time For Happy Hour – Morning or Evening!

Usually, your planning routine may have involved selecting a caterer and venue to host your company holiday party. Fortunately, many catering companies have pivoted to provide individually assembled meal kits or charcuterie boards for your team to enjoy from home.

Paired with a wine or cocktail kit delivery, you have the makings of a classic happy hour.

Interested in a more interactive event? Consider inviting mixologists like Barchef to walk your team through a professional cocktail workshop! Pair the workshop with a shipped cocktail kit, or share an ingredient list in advance of the event, that way everyone will be able to have all ingredients on hand to follow along with the program.

Don’t forget to ensure you have non-alcoholic options and recipes for those that do not/cannot consume alcohol.

An alternate option is to treat your team to a morning coffee tasting where they learn to brew the perfect cup of joe while engaging in some fun coffee-based trivia.
A great way to kick off a workday morning!

2. Use Your Holiday Budget to Give Back

If your organization typically supports a charity throughout the year, this holiday season may be a great opportunity to focus your celebration on giving back to those that need it most! Many non-profits have found themselves struggling to meet demands this year due to the pandemic with increased needs for food banks and healthcare services.

Our team at LOMA Agency are thrilled to be partnering with the Canadian Nurses Foundation to produce their annual fundraising gala, the 2020 CNF Nightingale MaskerAide – which is going virtual on December 3rd for the first time in its 10 year history!

Buying tickets for your teams to attend a virtual fundraiser event like the one the CNF is hosting will help redirect your holiday celebration budget to a good cause, making a difference in your community while also providing your team with access to an exciting event program.

3. Team Building & Networking Activities

Looking to drive deeper connections and foster interaction between team members? Consider a virtual team building experience.

There are a number of companies that specialize in hosting virtual party games, such as Trivia, Jeopardy, and Family Feud, or even virtual Escape Rooms.

Each of these activities can help inspire teamwork and communication amongst participants, especially if you have recently added new employees to the team who have yet to meet their colleagues in person.

4. The Gift Exchange Lives On

Just because you won’t be gathering in person, does not mean you can’t facilitate a gift exchange. And no, we don’t mean gift cards.

Use an online name generator to draw names! Decide whether you want to send cards or gifts, and have each participant send a thoughtful item with festive well wishes to their recipient.

Schedule a time for everyone to get together virtually and open their gifts on video, revealing who had who and what each team member received through the exchange.

5. Virtual Paint Night

Unleash your inner Van Gogh by hosting a virtual paint night! Have the required art supplies (i.e. an easel, canvas, paint, paint brush) with add-ons such as a bottle of wine and/or snack pack sent to participants in advance of the event. This way everyone is prepared the night of to follow along with a professional artist’s step-by-step instruction.

Your attendees will be left with their own piece of art as a souvenir and the shared experience will foster connection amongst the team.

6. Watch Party & Chill

If your holiday celebration has traditionally included your employees’ families, you can continue to do so by setting up a live Netflix Party viewing of a family-friendly festive movie!

Have the team vote for a film and time to watch it in advance so everyone can watch together from the comfort of their own homes.

An added bonus? Send them a movie watch-party kit with classic theatre treats and popcorn. While the movie plays, everyone can chat virtually to make the experience more engaging. You can even host a trivia contest post-movie to up the stakes.

7. Team Recipe Book

Knowing that holiday gatherings may look very different this year, bring your team’s traditional holiday recipes together for the group to share in a unique collection. Have participants submit their favourite holiday recipe and assemble them in a custom cookbook that can be sent to everyone.

Not only can they reference these recipes for years to come, but you can bring the team together with a virtual potluck where each person recreates a different meal.

Want to level up? Offer the cookbook for sale as a holiday fundraiser!

8. Holiday Wellness

Even without the additional stress and pressure this year has created, many people experience the “holiday blues” and almost everyone can benefit from a little relaxation, community and motivation around this time of year. Encourage your team to get up and moving by hosting a virtual fitness class, or to slow down and unwind with some yoga or meditation.

Not only are these activities beneficial for your team’s physical health, but their mental and emotional well-being, too. If you want to go the extra motivational-mile, consider hosting a motivational speaker workshop to inspire your team to feel their best going into the New Year.

9. New Year, New Read

As a holiday gift, select a book to send each member of your team. From fictional texts addressing societal issues, to insightful memoirs exploring personal and professional accomplishment, there has been no shortage of important literature released this year. Pick something that your team is passionate about or aligns with your organization’s values and schedule a time in the New Year to chat about it.

If your group has a busy holiday season, waiting until the New Year to connect allows the festivities to extend into January. The gift of a book gives team members expecting a quieter holiday something to enjoy doing in lieu of usual gatherings and offers a chance to connect with coworkers from afar through an engaging topic of joint interest.

10. Connection By Concert

It’s no secret most of us are really missing live music events. There is nothing like hearing your favorite artist’s hits in person and sharing that with hundreds (or thousands) of other fans.

Why not reach out to a local musician and have them host a virtual concert! This year is as good as any to prioritize shopping local and supporting artists in your community to help smaller groups and business thrive this holiday season.

Have a larger budget? Engage with a talent agency who reps your favorite musician to see if they’re available. Talk about a wow!

Not Sure Where To Begin? Overwhelmed with other priorities? We know virtual events require a lot of planning and lead time and are here to help!

Get in touch to schedule a conversation.g

After returning home from producing a large conference in San Francisco the first week of March 2020, COVID-19 took over, and since then, the world has been forever changed.

For the first few weeks, we at LOMA Agency took each day in stride; however, the team and our clients soon began to realize this virus wasn’t going anywhere, and so began the process of 2020 program cancellations and postponements.

The word of the year: PIVOT!

In mid-April, a month or so into lockdown, we began thinking about how we could make the most of the “new normal,” and the idea of a one-day virtual event for good, LOMAPALOOZA, was born.

Rather than it being just another virtual event that contributed to Zoom fatigue, instead it would be a break from what people were dealing with both personally and/or professionally and a day about feeling good while doing good…from home!

In lieu of fees for the event, we instead decided to help raise money for Food Banks Canada & Feeding America as the pandemic only exacerbated the need to support these two amazing organizations.

With our goals in sight, the date was set for June 11th — giving us just under eight weeks to bring LOMAPALOOZA to life.

Here are five reasons why the day was a success:

1. Virtual Events (Like In-Person Events) Require Planning

There can be a misconception that hosting a virtual event is as easy as leveraging technology such as Zoom to quickly set up a webinar or meeting, confirming some speakers, and sending out a calendar invitation. We wish it was that easy! The truth is, in order to host a seamless, engaging, creative, successful event – you need to put the same energy, effort and organization into it that you would for an in-person event.

Similar to in-person events, a solid project plan based on key milestones and objectives identified up front are keys to success. Also, building out a critical path (as some of us in the ‘biz like to call it) helps to keep the planning team accountable and on track and identify roadblocks before they occur.

The biggest challenge we see is not enough lead time being considered to create a solid plan and execute on it. In an ideal world, depending on how robust your program is, a good timeline we suggest is a minimum of 4-6 weeks. For more intensive, multi-day, multi-session virtual events, you’re likely looking at closer to 8-12 weeks.

LOMAPALOOZA took eight weeks to come to life. Those eight weeks (and we could have used nine) allowed us to focus on defining what success would look like as well as establishing a plan to encompass many of the moving parts for an in-person event such as:

• Creative and content development
• Sponsorship
• A strategy for registration and communication
• Social media marketing
• Technical production including scripting, show flow and rehearsals, a troubleshooting plan, as well as defining team roles and responsibilities

While I will say planning a virtual event can be less demanding physically, it still requires the same amount of mental focus — if not more — and the “event high” is still the same.

2. Creating Community with Content

“Bringing together such love, laughter, music and good eats, and an impact to our communities in need. You all truly showed us the importance of and exactly how to build community while physically distanced, but utterly socially and spiritually connected. “

The above quote is one of the many positive pieces of feedback we received from our participants which made us all smile.

As we approach just over six months into this pandemic, the thought of sitting in front of our computers for yet another ‘experience’ can make one want to pull their hair out.

Not every in-person event should be translated to a virtual experience, but if you deem it to be so, there is an opportunity to ensure your attendees feel a sense of community, inclusion and connection.

LOMAPALOOZA was all about connecting a community to raise money for two amazing organizations, Food Banks Canada and Feeding America.

We knew with a 9-hour event on a Thursday most people would not be able to attend the entire experience, so we endeavoured to plan a day to accommodate various time zones that included something for everyone. A ‘choose your own adventure’ if you will. Whether you popped in for the smoothie session and came back for our DJ power hour, or just joined to learn about graffiti or see a beautiful performance by a talented singer, it was up to the attendee to choose what was meaningful to them and what made sense for their day.

Additionally, ensuring we had a diverse lineup of presenters from different locations was part of the special sauce that made the day a huge success.

With over 200 attendees participating, that community feeling started building before the event by having everyone connect with us and one another on various social media channels. On the day of the event, between the chat room, live Q&A, polls, Instagram insta-story bingo and interactive experiences where some attendees shared their audio and video for sessions like the Trust Mindset dance from the team at Great Place to Work®, or a collective guided mini meditation with Sikin Samji, the feeling of community had not only been built – it was palpable.

Thanks to our post-event survey, LOMAPALOOZA received an overall score of 91% with majority of attendees rating their experience as “LOVED IT”. Community, inclusion, connection achieved!

3. Think About the Attendee Experience

There are different types of virtual events which we explore in greater detail in our blogpost Empowered by Change – Pivoting to Virtual Events.

In this whitepaper, we discuss the importance of accommodating different learning styles as not everyone absorbs content in the same way. Some people are visual learners while others may be auditory. Some find taking notes or writing helps with information download whereas kinesthetic learners prefer physical, hands-on engagement.

It is important to take this into consideration when planning your agenda and speaker lineup.

As previously mentioned, for LOMAPALOOZA we wanted to ensure that there would be something for everyone in terms of topics, whether it was health and wellness, food, arts and music or personal growth.

Diversifying how those sessions were delivered was key to creating unique experiences and catering to various learning styles, whether it was a panel of speakers, engaging a selection of attendees, getting people moving with a dance or following along with a recipe.

If you missed out on our inaugural experience you can access the recordings on demand free of charge by visiting www.lomapalooza.com .

4. Define Roles & Responsibilities

Host or emcee, co-host, panelists or presenters, moderators or facilitators, attendees, technical producer, speaker wrangler: these are just some of the roles required to pull off a virtual event, and it’s important to ensure everyone knows what their role is, and what it entails, leading up to the day of the event.

Having a host or emcee facilitate introductions and transitions before, during and after presentations is definitely what sets a good virtual event apart from a great one. Having a co-host or multiple hosts is also an option, but it’s worth identifying that early on. A co-host can also be someone who may not be ‘on screen’ hosting per say, but could be logged in following along as back-up should the host’s technology fail (as an example).

For your presenters or panelists, preparing them in advance with a short kick-off call, followed by a speaker logistics email including everything from their schedule, required materials to sample social media promotion copy, is fundamental to setting them up for success.

This was even more crucial for LOMAPALOOZA with 15 presenters, and another reason why having enough planning time is crucial. We also assigned a point person from our team for the speakers on the day of so that they could connect with someone at any time leading up to their session. Having a wrangler also allows you to ensure you presenters are standing by ready to go, ahead of their presentation.

Defining who will moderate the chat and Q&A day of is also important and helps engage your attendees. Introducing this person to attendees throughout the day creates that human connection and can help attendees feel supported throughout the experience.

The technical producer I would say is the most important role to ensuring a seamless and successful event. This person needs to be able to multi-task and be very comfortable with the technology.

For LOMAPALOOZA as with many of our virtual and in-person events, we worked on developing a thorough script and show flow for the event that allowed each person to think through their role and incorporate cues that enabled us all to have clear direction throughout the day.

5. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse

I can’t express enough how important it is to build rehearsal time into your virtual event plan for your speakers and as an internal team to run through flow and transitions.

You wouldn’t get up on stage in front of a live audience without rehearsing, and not rehearsing leaves room for error.

Speakers may push back saying they don’t need it, but trust us, they do. Even if it’s just 15 minutes to get them familiar with how the technology will work and who is presenting before or after them, it will be time well spent.

Rehearsing multiple times also uncovers new gaps or questions each time, as you experience each rehearsal a little differently and/or get more comfortable with the flow of the experience. Leaving time between rehearsals also allows you as a team to digest the experience and raise any red flags leading up to the next rehearsal.

Yes, even with rehearsals things can still go wrong – we are dealing with technology after all – however, if you’ve rehearsed and discussed plans B, C and D, you’ll be ready to handle those challenges if and when they arise.

That’s A Wrap

As a team we were really proud of what we accomplished with the inaugral LOMAPALOOZA raising over $4,000 for two great causes while bringing people together for a day to feel good, and do good, from home.

While we didn’t miss the post-event “clean up” that normally happens behind the scenes on site at live events, we did spend time debriefing and thinking of ways to make LOMAPALOOZA 2021 even better!

Looking ahead, we’re more prepared than ever to embrace the new event marketing landscape, and what’s more, we’re ready to help others prepare as well.

Don’t under-estimate what it takes to execute a virtual event: partner with experts like us at LOMA Agency who can help you elevate the experience and provide your attendees (or employees) with the connection they’re craving.

Ready to get started? CONTACT US for more information.

Think of that one event you look forward to every year. The conference where you have the chance to catch up with friends and colleagues from around the world; the music festival where you get to step away from reality and indulge in a few days of incredible artistry; or the sports tournament that allows your team to showcase the skills that have taken endless early morning practices to perfect.

The events industry is a larger community than many realize. In 2018, the global event industry was valued at $1.1 billion and has been on a steady climb since, projected to reach $2.33 billion by 2026. The Events Industry Council asserts that in 2017, business events alone supported over 25 million jobs globally and generated over $1 trillion. In the United States, every $1 spent on face-to-face meetings and business events generates an additional $1.60 for the U.S. economy.

However, 2020 has turned into the year of uncertainty due to COVID-19. Already, high numbers of event cancellations have had a significant impact on the global economy. At the beginning of March alone, the cancellations of many major events totalled over $1 billion in direct economic loss.

With all that has happened and all that is surely yet to come, it’s a good thing that event planners are expert problem-solvers. The events and adjacent industries are doing everything possible to turn challenges into beneficial solutions for the global community.

Below are a few examples from across the globe that demonstrate the resilience of the events community when it comes to repurposing, reshaping and starting to recover during these difficult times.

REPURPOSING: Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

For the upcoming year, many large companies such as Facebook and IBM are choosing to convert their live events to digital experiences in lieu of an all-out cancellation. The shift to virtual has left conference centres, hotels, stadiums and concert venues uninhabited. Instead of staying empty, many of these venues are being repurposed to continue offering just as much value as their virtual counterparts.

Convention centres in London, England and Vancouver, Canada have already been converted into makeshift hospitals to relieve some of the strain on healthcare systems. In Madrid, Spain the IFEMA Convention Centre opened with an initial capacity of 1,300 beds with the ability to increase to 5,500 beds, should the need arise. Sports stadiums in Brazil and Wales have also been outfitted with hospital beds to assist emergency efforts.

Meanwhile, a number of major hotel chains are also shifting their focus; instead of providing accommodations for tourists, brands like Hilton are using their vacant rooms for members of the community who need them most. In partnership with American Express, Hilton has donated one million hotel room nights to frontline workers across the United States, helping to keep both workers and their families safer as they work diligently to keep the rest of us safe.

RESHAPING: Changing The Way We Operate

While these permanent venues are lending themselves to temporary operations, other central components of the event and hospitality industries are restructuring to provide important services.

Upstaging, a Chicago-based special events carrier, is taking their assistance on the road by swapping its usual hauls of live event equipment for grocery and retail supplies. Production equipment, such as room dividers and lighting, are being repurposed to assist health care efforts. In addition, the company is also offering their printing and design materials to produce signs encouraging social distancing, and their staff to assist in set up and tear down of temporary facilities.

The Ocean House Management Collection – a New England hotel group – has also found a creative way for their staff and culinary team to give back to the community during ongoing school closures by providing a mobile lunch service. For young students who rely on their school cafeteria for their midday meal, the Ocean House food truck is a way of using existing resources to ensure no child has to go without a nutritious meal.

There is even a silver lining to the cancellation of so many events, as charity organizations, like the non-profit Good360, are collecting donations from cancelled events in the form of water bottles, t-shirts, and tote bags, to assist in relief efforts.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre has also donated items left over from events, like bags and furniture, to Habitat for Humanity and has provided thousands of meals for food banks and student nutrition programs in Toronto, Canada.

RECOVERING: How We Move forward

All around the world, the event and hospitality industries are mobilizing to protect and support the global community in any way possible. As venues and teams of event and hospitality staff find ways to continue providing for their communities, other groups are finding ways to keep people connected and entertained in an attempt to regain a sense of structure and purpose while such things are difficult.

In Scotland, a local soccer club that is unable to host their usual games has rebranded from the Patrick Thistle Football Club to the Patrick Thistle Family Club. The club is making efforts to ensure fans stay connected and in positive mindsets through increased online engagement and will be calling elderly fans directly to ensure they have someone available to connect with.

Art and culture events are being kept alive online, thanks to organizations like the Toronto International Film Festival, that recently curated a Stay-at-Home Film Festival, and the Metropolitan Opera, which is streaming performances for free. Engaging in online content from some of your favourite events is a great way to not only stay entertained while at home, but also offer continued support until these events can return to taking place in-person.

Ways To Get Involved

We all can’t wait to come together again in person, but in the meantime, we are united by the desire to be there for one another as we learn how to persevere through the months and years ahead. From big to small, each kind and thoughtful act makes a difference in supporting our industry and our community.

There are a number of ways to get involved and show support for the community. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Virtual VolunteeringThe American Hotel and Lodging Association has created the initiative “Hospitality for Hope” to boost the collaborative efforts between governments and the hospitality industry to assist hotel employees, communities, and the industry as a whole. There are a number of online volunteer opportunities if you are interested in supporting the initiative, or you can share your hotel’s story.In Canada, there are a number of virtual volunteer campaigns taking place across the country, allowing people to support organizations assisting with hunger relief, family services, and animal rescue and more from home during this time.
2. Support Local BusinessesWednesdays in Canada are now known as Canada Takeout Day. Across the country, Canadians are encouraged to order takeout from a local restaurant to show their support and help keep small businesses open.Is there a particular caterer you often use for your events? Why not check in next time you’re looking to order dinner and see if they are offering delivery! Your support can make a huge difference in helping your favorite businesses keep their doors open.And supporting local doesn’t have to be limited to food. Many florists are offering delivery options for plants and fresh flowers, local musicians are hosting virtual concerts until they can get back onstage, and everything from clothing to candles can be purchased online from a small business.
3. Use #HOSPITALITYSTRONG on Social MediaOn April 13, the city of Toronto lit up in purple and floods of social media posts came in as part of the Hospitality Strong movement. While businesses have attempted to limit the number of workers laid off as a result of the pandemic, thousands of hospitality and events staff across the world are out of work.By using the hashtag #hospitalitystong, you can continue to show your love and support for the workers and businesses that are currently struggling.
4. Donate BloodIf you are able to and feel comfortable leaving your home during this time, make an appointment to go and donate blood! Between school closures and limited social gatherings, many blood drives and fundraising events are unable to operate. But that doesn’t mean our healthcare systems are not still in need of blood. The American Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services are operating by appointment only, to enable social distancing practices at clinics and increase safety measures for both staff and donors.Updated eligibility policies are currently in place, so be sure to double check that you qualify to donate!
5. Help Someone with Essential ErrandsIf you are continuing to shop for your groceries in person, ask neighbors if there is anything you can pick up for them while you’re at the store! With many trying to limit how often they leave their homes, elderly neighbors and those at higher risk for severe illness may especially benefit from having you collect a few extra items to minimize the number of times they have to go out themselves.However, make sure to keep a safe distance as you drop items off and to shop safely while you’re out!

We at LOMA Agency are so uplifted by all the displays of support and unity being displayed around the world. This is an unprecedented time of change and uncertainty, but the events community has stepped up to show its strength despite the strain. Looking ahead, we will continue to lend our support where it’s needed and eagerly await the moment where we can all meet again in person. Until then, be well and take care of each other.

Click on the image below to download your copy of The #LOMALIST2020

Picture this: You worked for months planning your product launch and now your venue is filled with eager attendees, all waiting to hear the exciting announcement you’ve been promoting. Your CEO is about to go onstage after an intro video that will really get the crowd amped for their talk. The video starts and then suddenly is frozen on the screen. You turn to the video technician who’s nodded off and hasn’t even noticed what’s gone wrong.

The audio-visual component of any meeting or event can have a huge impact on the overall experience—good or bad. This is why it’s crucial to collaborate with a production partner who’s earned your trust and asks the right questions, making sure that they’ve got your back from before the first attendee arrives until the last one leaves.

In a recent conversation with JT Naughton, Owner of Four Moon Productions, one of our AV partners, we discussed five key considerations for planning a successful AV component of your event.

1. Venue selection and contracting

Get your production partners involved from the beginning. Have them tag along on site visits as they can point out potential challenges and/or opportunities. They may have also worked at the venues you are considering before and could share from past experiences; everything from what would work well in the space to their experience dealing with the venue staff. Another roadblock you may encounter is a venue wanting to charge you a fee should you wish to bring in your own AV provider versus going with their in-house production partner. There is an opportunity to negotiate this fee down or even have it removed entirely. If the venue won’t budge, then you need to make a decision, but you can’t put a price tag, in our opinion, on the trust you already have with a partner you’ve worked with versus working with an all-new team. This is not to say that all in house teams are horrible and at times it may make more sense budget-wise to work with the in-house team. Our advice is to challenge the venue and if you are going with the in-house company, don’t be afraid to ask for past event testimonials, stage set examples etc.

2. Union vs. non-union

Some venues are union houses. If you’re not familiar, a union house hires workers who are members of a labor union and this can affect your audio-visual production budget substantially. Most unions require some kind of shadow position for any operating position your preferred production company provides. There are also a lot of rules to follow so ensuring your production partner understands all the rules and plays nice with others is key to a successful onsite setup.It’s also important to ensure that breaks are scheduled to accommodate meals and downtime. Be sure to schedule setup and loading in during regular working hours to avoid overtime charges. If your event happens to fall on a holiday, some unions mandate overtime or even double-time if working on a major holiday.

Last but not least, many unions are charging “broadcast fees” for not only a live streaming event, but also for any content that will end up online, regardless if you’re charging to view that content. Some unions consider online content as a marketing opportunity for the end client and therefore see it as a revenue generating tool, hence the broadcast fee.

3. Accurate agendas = accurate quotes

It’s inevitable that your agenda or program is a work in progress leading up to the event. This can however have an impact on an AV quote as adding gear here and there or more labor can impact the quote substantially. If you know this is something you’ll potentially struggle with, then have a conversation with your production partner to buffer in some additional dollars to accommodate last minute additions/changes and avoid surprises.Don’t be afraid to ask for updated quotes as you go through the planning process to ensure everyone is on the same page.

4. Set up and rehearsals

As the saying goes, “measure twice, cut once” and so we say in the events world, “rehearse or bust.” Rehearsals are as much for your speakers as they are for the production team. The end result is a polished presentation and happy, engaged attendees. Unfortunately, rehearsals are often overlooked until just before the program which can cut into setup time or may not even be an option, depending on when you gain access to the venue. Having your crew setup overnight to accommodate a morning rehearsal may seem like a good idea, however, that can leave them tired by showtime and nobody wants that.

A good plan of action is to ensure that you book your venue to include at least a day or evening ahead to allow for building in rehearsal time once set up is complete. This allows your production partner to budget in the time and labor to accommodate the rehearsal in the overall quote.

5. Consideration and respect

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see crews being treated like hired help. Long hours are to be expected, especially with the mentality of “the show must go on”. Just remember that an exhausted crew probably isn’t at the top of their game. Kindness is key to a successful partnership. This could be as simple as arriving onsite and greeting everyone and doing your best to remember their names. Arranging for crew meals also goes a long way—your crew will appreciate the thoughtful (and tasty) gesture and you’ll enjoy extra efficiency from your crew staying on site.

Last but not least, a genuine thank you to each crew member to acknowledge their contribution is a must. Too often, crews don’t get the recognition they deserve, despite being behind the scenes making the magic happen.

After managing many events, we’ve found these tips essential to ensuring a successful event, happy crews, and seamless production. We hope you find them helpful in planning your next event!

Find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and share your tips and tricks by tagging us @loma_agency or #lomaagency so we can continue to learn from you.

“The world is on fire.” This was the ever-inspiring and hope-infused phrase my partner announced to me during a recent cottage vacation. He isn’t always this bleak, but after indulging in David Wallace-Wells’ The Uninhabitable Earth – a book that does not sugar-coat its recounting of the consequences of global warming – it was an unavoidable conclusion.

If you haven’t already, take a look at Part 1 of our two-part post on how to plan greener and more eco-friendly meetings and events. Not only will you discover some helpful tools and suggestions, you’ll also avoid being that one person who watches the sequel first.

If you’re all caught up, welcome back!

Don’t Meet Less, Just Less MEAT

Because sustainability is just as much about what you serve as it is how you serve it, let’s take a moment to talk about meat.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love meat! Just the thought of a sizzling rack of ribs, smothered in a smoky, hickory BBQ sauce, served with a side of cool and crunchy coleslaw on a hot summer day makes me… What are we talking about again? Right, sorry! Sustainability. I’m back.

As mentioned in Part 1, water scarcity is a legitimate risk to us as humans if we do not better manage our footprint today. With this in mind, now is the time to flex those creative menu muscles and find ways to incorporate less meat into your meals while still maintaining all the flavour to keep a diverse crowd happy.

Meat requires far more water to produce than other plant-based proteins (e.g. 1kg of beef requires 15,415L of water vs. 1kg of lentils requiring only 5,875L of water), so use this as an opportunity to experiment with vegetarian and/or vegan alternatives so as not to completely remove meat from the menu, but simply to reduce it. And if you’re struggling with this, I have three words for you: Beyoncé loves vegans.

Travel Smart – Travel Green

As planners we have been privileged to visit cities and countries around the world for various client programs. Similarly, many people will specifically choose to register for an event because it’s taking place in a city they’ve always wanted to see. It’s wonderful to travel, but we can’t ignore the impact that group travel has on our environment, particularly our air quality. So how do we minimize?

Venue
Start with your venue selection. If you’re hosting an event with a large number of out-of-town attendees, consider hosting them in a venue that is near the airport. While it may not always be the most glamourous part of a particular city, airport hotels also tend to have better room and meeting rates than their metropolitan sister sites.

Group Travel
For locals, it may not make sense to stay overnight at a hotel. In this case, arranging for group transportation such as shuttle buses and coaches is a great way to reduce emissions. Another benefit from a planning perspective when it comes to shuttles is that you now have a dedicated window of time with your audience. Take advantage of this time by providing additional, interesting content via video screens in the coach or providing any sponsors with an opportunity to brand and provide gifting and/or incentives during the ride.

Public Transportation/Walking Tours
Something we always have to explain to friends and family after coming back from a business trip is that we actually didn’t get to see that much of the city we were in. Of course, there have been times where we’ve been able to buffer in a little leisure time, but for the most part we are there to produce the event and head out shortly thereafter.

Chances are, many of your attendees have had similar experiences when travelling for business purposes. Give them an opportunity to really immerse themselves in your program’s city by arranging for transit cards and communicating routes between conference centres and hotels as well as local attractions. Where possible, you can also communicate walking routes and tours for attendees should they opt to take advantage of cities with warmer weather.

Hold Venues Accountable

Finally, your venue is arguably your biggest partner. Depending on the type of venue you choose and the kind of event you are executing, your venue may be in charge of everything from set-up and tear down, food and beverage, AV, and accommodations. Given the large role they play in your program, it’s fair to expect them to be just as diligent as you are in maintaining a “green” experience.

Consider asking the questions included below when selecting your venue in order to be sure you’re choosing the most considerate and collaborative partner for your event:

• What are your environmental and/or sustainability policies?
• How are those policies implemented?
• Do you have any existing partnerships with other organizations to promote your sustainability objectives? (e.g. local food shelters)
• If catering is done in-house, you should also ask some of the questions we mentioned when discussing F&B sustainability, such as where and how their food is sourced and what their processes are for disposal or donation following an event?

Despite being a few years old, Meetings Today has a comprehensive list that is worth reviewing for more specific questions related to certain kinds of venues or event types.

And there you have it – a few tips as to some of the different ways you can make your next meeting or event just a little bit greener. The truth is, every small step or action counts for something and while you may not be able to incorporate everything we’ve mentioned here all of the time, hopefully you’ve learned ways in which you can incorporate some of these tips most of the time.

Our earth isn’t inhabitable yet and it’s up to us to make sure it never is!

Do you have other ideas or tactics you’ve implemented to make your events more sustainable that we didn’t mention here? We want to hear about it! Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share your story by tagging us so we can learn more too.

Need help finding the right venue or implementing green meeting best practices? Contact Us.

During this past May long weekend, affectionately viewed by most of us as the unofficial start to summer, my partner and I packed our bags and ventured north to cottage country with a group of close friends.

After a night of core-strengthening laughs, never-ending charcuterie, and multiple pitchers of palomas, we fell asleep easily and woke up to a cooler, but still sunny morning.

On my way to the kitchen of our charming, rented farmhouse, I passed my partner in the living room and noticed he wore a look of defeat on his face that I hadn’t ever seen before. I approached, noticing he was staring out the window at nothing in particular, and asked if he was alright. He sat, still staring out the window, and said, “The world is on fire.”

I might have been alarmed by this, but before I could react, he picked up a book from his lap and nearly flung it onto the coffee table in front of him. I read the title, The Uninhabitable Earth, David Wallace-Wells.

If you’re not familiar with this light and breezy summer read, The Uninhabitable Earth essentially outlines all of the ways in which climate change is already impacting our lives; it also warns of a not-so-distant future in which the oceans contain more plastic than fish and, due to water scarcity, extreme weather and the rise of as little as two-degrees Celsius (TWO-DEGREES!) we will be facing a global conflict unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before.

Try as you might, climate change is hard to ignore. In Toronto, water levels on the islands are at a record high (again) halting ferry service and leaving many roads and paths waterlogged. This is the second time the island has been at risk for flooding since 2017, and despite having more safety measures in place and a united community, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen in the coming days and weeks.

South of the border, we already know how unrelenting forest fires have impacted much of the west coast in recent months, but across the Midwest this Spring, torrential rains have left acres upon acres of land unsuitable for growing food. You can learn more about this by following #noplant19 on Twitter, but I’ll warn you now, the numbers are bleak.

If you’re still with me, now would be a good time to look in the mirror and do your best Oda Mae Brown because, “Molly…you in danger, girl.”

Danger, yes. Despair, no. As Wallace-Wells says himself, “It’s not too late. In fact, it never will be.” It’s easy to take on a defeatist attitude when you hear just how much damage has already been done. However, it’s important to remember that your actions matter – no matter how small. No matter how seemingly insignificant.

In the world of events, we see a lot of waste. From food waste to paper waste and the constant travel, we owe it to our planet to hold ourselves accountable for the impact events have on the environment. Whether you’re planning an intimate meeting for executives, a multi-day conference, or a city-wide festival, make it part of your event blueprint to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. Not sure where to start? You’re in luck! We at LOMA Agency have compiled a list of tips and tools for you to consider before you begin planning your next event.

Get Down with Digital – Go Paperless!

We get it, sometimes you have a less-than-adaptable audience; or maybe your stakeholders are insistent that every seat receive a print out of your event agenda. As Kermit the frog once famously lamented, it’s not easy being green – but it is worth it!

To start, partnering with a mobile app developer is a great way to combine all of the most commonly printed materials (e.g. programs and agendas, speaker bios, menus, presentation decks) in one convenient place that your attendees can access at any time.

There are no shortage of options available, and as with any other vendor you decide to partner with, you want to make sure that the app that you choose is right for you. To help get you started, take a look at the latest top-rated event apps that planners are talking about most recently and get inspired to start going digital.

Another major consideration is signage. We know, we know. We need signage. But do we need printed signage?

If you have a trusted AV partner, have a frank conversation about what your budget restrictions are and how you might be able to incorporate more digital signage vs standard decals or foam core. Digital signage not only allows you to be more creative with your branding by including animations and sound, it also allows for additional real-time content.

If you’re on a really tight budget, take an audit of any opportunities within your chosen venue to leverage built-in screens or in-house AV. As I’ll share later, your venue selection plays a major role in your ability to be sustainable so don’t be afraid to ask them to step up.

Waste Not Want Not – Sustainable Food & Beverage

Did you know that meeting budgets allocate approximately $48B every year on food and beverage (F&B) in the US alone? Meanwhile, in 2018, roughly 40% was wasted – meaning it went into the garbage despite being still safe and nutritious to eat. Combine these numbers with the fact that also in 2018, an estimated 50M Americans required access to food banks so that they didn’t starve, and you can see why we need to make serious changes to our planning habits. Canadians aren’t doing much better. Reports show that 58% of ALL food produced in Canada is going to waste which is staggering, to say the least.

These facts are important because they prove that sustainability isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for the individual. Imagine if you could say to your key stakeholders that you discovered a way to save them 30%-40% off their F&B, or allow them to re-purpose these funds? (*cough* digital signage *cough*)

Or event better, you can help support an organization’s CSR initiatives by reducing food waste at your event and donating to a local not-for-profit? Whatever your rationale, the result is the same – greater sustainability leads to a healthier planet.

Here’s how to get started:

• Audit previous events similar in size and scale – this will allow you to understand your average no-show rate and how many people you’ve actually fed in the past to fine tune your guarantees
• Talk to your caterer about sourcing local, ethically-grown, and where possible, organic ingredients
• Include a sustainability clause in your RFP to caterers and/or venues and challenge them to outline the ways in which they plan to donate or re-purpose any leftover food
• Finally, limit service waste. This means swapping paper napkins for cloth napkins that can be dry-cleaned or using compostable materials and providing clearly labelled receptacles for guests to dispose of when they’re finished. You might even consider enforcing a “no bottled water policy” and provide your guests with reusable water bottles that can be refilled at water stations throughout your events space.

Still with us? Let’s take a beat before we share part two of our guide to planning greener and more eco-friendly meetings and events. In Part 2 of this post, we’ll share more interesting facts about the food we serve at events, and how a little creativity not only satisfies our planet but satisfies our appetites as well.

In the meantime, we want to hear about all of the ways you’ve reduced waste and continue to implement greener practices at your meetings and events.

Find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and share your story by tagging us @loma_agency or #lomaagency so we can continue to learn from you. Remember, there is no Planet B!

It seems that no matter how many conferences you attend, all over the world, they all seem to have the same old boring swag. Which makes sense, right? Who doesn’t need yet another flimsy notebook with a pen that won’t survive the event (if it even worked in the first place)? Or how about adding to your collection of ill-fitting, scratchy t-shirts that you’ll inevitably use to wash your car next week?

Swag is not only a great way to get your brand into the hands of current and potential partners and customers, but it’s also a great way to remind event attendees who you are as a company, long after the event has ended. What you say with your swag reflects on your brand, so be sure you’re spending your giveaway budget the right way.

If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to swag, have no fear. We’ve compiled a list of our current top 10 favourite swag items to help inspire your next event. Whether it’s a useful little knick knack or a high-value tech toy, there are great options out there to cover any brand personality.

We predict a memorable event!

No matter what you decide to give away at your event, if you’re being thoughtful about your guests and your brand, you’ll not only be making your guests’ lives a little easier, you’ll be promoting your brand in a positive, memorable way, too!

With Labor Day in the rear-view mirror, it might be hard to believe that there’s less than 90 days until December, but it’s true! While three months seems like a long time, fall is a busy time and before you know it someone will ask, “What are we doing for this year’s company holiday party?”

If you haven’t even thought about holiday party planning yet, don’t worry—now is the perfect time to get started! Get the jump on your planning with these five tips to help you organize a festive celebration everyone in your organization can enjoy!

1. Planning by committee

Planning a big event for your entire organization can be stressful and even a bit intimidating. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone! Just about everyone at your company will have an opinion about the party, so why not include them in the planning process? Nominate a planning committee that includes someone from each team or department. This will not only help divide and conquer the planning duties, but it’ll also help spread the word and drum up interest around the water cooler as your planning committee shares the party progress with their colleagues.

But before you get planning, however, be sure to establish clear roles and responsibilities for the committee. Determine who the key decision makers and budget approvers will be and commit to meeting bi-weekly or weekly leading up to your event.

2. Date, time, and location

One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is where and when your celebration will occur. Here are some key questions you’ll want to discuss and answer as a committee:

• When will the event be held? Be sure to take into account holiday travel plans and year-end wrap-up, and possibly consider a January celebration after everyone is back to work in the new year.
• Will it take place after or during work hours?
• Will it be on a weekday or weekend?
• Where will the event be held? In the office or offsite?
• If offsite, does it need to be close to the office and/or close to public transportation?
• Will the company provide transportation or taxi vouchers?
• Will employees be able to bring a guest?

3. The venue and theme

Many organizations use the end-of-year holiday party as a time to celebrate as a team and recognize the year’s successes whether it’s hitting revenue targets, a major client acquisition, or a new product release. It’s also an opportunity for your team to bond and connect while having some fun and celebrating the season together.

Whatever the reason, think about what kind of vibe you’d like your event to have. If you’re a smaller organization, an intimate dinner at your local “it” restaurant in a semi-private or private room would be a great option. If your crowd enjoys a good dance party, perhaps renting out an event space with a DJ and food stations may be the way to go. If employees love a good theme party, come up with a theme that can build leading up to the event and get people talking about what they’re planning to wear.

You know your colleagues best, so as a committee, think about what everyone would enjoy and would make for a memorable experience.

4. Food and drink

There’s a great quote by American food writer M.F.K. Fisher that says, “First we eat, then we do everything else.”

Great food can elevate an event and is where people tend to gravitate. When it comes to events, food is also one of the top things people rave or complain about.

Here’s some food for thought:

• If the event is themed, think about how the food can play a role and represent the theme.
• Ensure that you’ve considered everyone’s dietary restrictions. This can be managed by sending out a few survey questions with your event invitation to capture allergies or preferences.
• For sit-down meals, a pre-set menu with a few different options can work best.
• If your event will be reception style with guests roaming throughout the evening, food stations paired with passed canapés would be a good way to ensure everyone gets a variety of bites.
• It’s the holiday season and a time to indulge, but don’t forget to balance the poutine bar with some healthier options like a sushi, poke bowl or crudité bar.
• You’ll also want to discuss how you’re going to manage alcohol consumption at the event. Some companies opt to have a ticket system in place where guests are given a set number of tickets for the evening, limiting the number of drinks served, or requiring guests to pay out of pocket for any additional drinks.

With a cash bar, or if you’re hosting all drinks, ensure that there is a firm time established for last call and that you close the bar at least 30 minutes before the end of your event.

Additionally, if you’re serving alcohol, it’s important to ensure that your guests are getting home safely including opting to provide taxi vouchers or ride sharing codes. For those guests that live far away from the office, you can even consider negotiating a room block with a nearby hotel to save them the long trip home.

It’s also important to remember that not everyone is a drinker, so you’ll want to have plenty of non-alcoholic options as well.

While your goal is for everyone to have a fantastic time, that can only happen if everyone arrives home safely after the event.

5. When to engage an event planner

We’re all busy, especially this time of year. If you don’t have the capacity to coordinate an event, and you have the budget, engaging a third-party event planning agency can make your life a whole lot easier.

As planners, our goal is to act as an extension of your team to ensure your holiday celebration represents your organization well and that everyone leaves looking forward to the event next year.

Event planners can not only can provide you with a plethora of ideas and options, but have access to a wide network of venues, caterers, and other suppliers, saving you the time and money and the challenge of evaluating all the vendors needed to make an event like this happen.

Whether you’ve already started dreaming about your company’s holiday party, or it hasn’t even occurred to you yet, now’s the time to get started planning to ensure a fun, memorable, stress free holiday event for your organization! Happy planning!