Learn from the Olympics How to Organize your Events: Part 1 of 3 – Planning Event Logistics

Learn valuable lessons from the olympics about how to manage the logistics of an event.

Keywords:
Events, Tickets, Planning, Logistics

With the Winter Olympic Games in Torino underway, on time and over budget, it feels like a good time to take a minute and look at the lessons the Olympics have to teach us about managing events. To be fair, the Olympics are a massive set of groups with multiple venues hosting simultaneous events with visitors from all over the world. To make matters worse, you only get to do it once, you prepare for years leading up to it, when it arrives you try the best that you can to control the chaos for just over 2 nonstop weeks and then, in a blink of an eye, it is over. While there is a chance that your children or grandchildren will be involved in hosting the Games again, for most people involved there is no next time.

It is still too soon to look closely at what has and has not worked for the Winter Games in Torino. It is not until all the smoke has cleared that they will know how the event really went. I did however, have the good fortune of being involved with hosting the Salt Lake Winter Games (2002) while I was a college student in Provo, UT. Those Olympics are now four years old and time has given us a great perspective to glean some valuable lessons from them and the way that they were managed.

For the sake of learning, let’s skip past the Olympic bid scandal and look at the things that were done right for those games.

Let’s start with logistics in this part of our series – I-15 was under construction for years before the Olympic Games were held, but more importantly, some one had clearly thought out the most popular routes to the venues and where people would be going within the venues. The roads were modified to accommodate the increased traffic and the venues were laid out with the fans in mind. I spent most of my time during the 2002 Olympics at Soldier Hollow, the Cross Country Ski and Biathlon Venue. You could tell that time was spent to design the venue in such a way as to give the fans the most access to the course while making it a great course for the athletes competing. Often times this is a detail that is overlooked for smaller events. The venue will be decorated in a manner that looks great, often times at the expense of functionality.

It is also important to take the time to think through how people are going to arrive and leave your event. Look for things that might make it harder for people to attend and try to handle those issues in advance. I was involved in an event once where there was construction on the primary route. Since the location was vaguely familiar to most of the people attending we sent out flyers warning people about the construction and advising them of alternate routes that were available. Printing little maps on the back of your tickets is also a great way to help people get to your event.

The goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to 1) get to your event and 2) do what you want them to do when they arrive.

Next: Planning a Profitable Event

Share This

How To Get Your Business Noticed

Many people will tell you that to get your web site noticed you need to ‘optimize’ your site for the search engines. You are then led up a path where you have to keep changing your web site as the search engines change their ways of listing things. As fast as you ‘optimize’ your site, Google and the others have moved the goalposts, meaning you have to keep optimizing over and over again.

Now consider some facts. Most people in the world are not users of the Internet. Let’…

Keywords:
marketing, internet marketing, advertising, online advertising, internet advertising

Many people will tell you that to get your web site noticed you need to ‘optimize’ your site for the search engines. You are then led up a path where you have to keep changing your web site as the search engines change their ways of listing things. As fast as you ‘optimize’ your site, Google and the others have moved the goalposts, meaning you have to keep optimizing over and over again.

Now consider some facts. Most people in the world are not users of the Internet. Let’s repeat that. The vast majority of people who you want to reach don’t use the Internet. It doesn’t matter how well you optimize your web site, they simply will never find it.

Here’s another fact. Some of the best Internet marketers make most of their sales ‘offline’. They sell their books, CD-ROMs and so on at seminars, workshops and conferences. Indeed, for many ‘Internet marketers’ these ‘offline’ sales represent the bulk of their income.

So what do these facts tell us? They show us that ‘offline’ promotion is more important than online promotion. You may be able to optimize your web site to get high rankings in a search engine. But that doesn’t mean you’ll reach the vast majority of people who could buy your product or use your information.

This was confirmed recently by one study that showed most people go to an Internet address (URL) after having read it in a newspaper or magazine, been given it by a friend or colleague, or having heard it being mentioned by someone speaking at a meeting or on TV. In other words, it seems that significant numbers of people who get to your web site will do so having heard the URL somewhere outside the Internet.

You can get many people visiting your web site, even if you are not ranked highly by the search engines. You can do this in two main ways:

1. Write articles for use in regular publications – newspapers, magazines and so on. Always include your URL in the article and you’ll get millions of people to notice your web site address.

2. Speak at every opportunity. Make presentations to business clubs, chambers of commerce, local societies – you name it, you should speak at it. Every time you speak, announce or your web site address.

Although these are the two principal ways of gaining offline publicity for your web site, don’t neglect your business stationery, posters, car stickers and so on. The more your web site address is visible outside the web, the more visitors you will get regardless of how kind the search engines are to you.

Share This

Outsourcing Your Packaging Is A Strategic Option

In a recent article in “Investors Business Daily”, it was revealed that outsourcing has become more than just an easy way to cut costs. It has become a strategic tool that gives businesses flexibility and access to skilled personnel.

Since the advent of the Internet, and the rush to get online, companies have turned to outside professionals for services and solutions. Hiring a full-time IT technician is costly and not an efficient use of resources. Outsourcing allows compa…

Keywords:
outsourcing,packaging,packaging services,contract packaging

In a recent article in “Investors Business Daily”, it was revealed that outsourcing has become more than just an easy way to cut costs. It has become a strategic tool that gives businesses flexibility and access to skilled personnel.

Since the advent of the Internet, and the rush to get online, companies have turned to outside professionals for services and solutions. Hiring a full-time IT technician is costly and not an efficient use of resources. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on their core businesses while gaining access to skilled labor when they need it.

* Outsourcing is a way to boost revenue
* Outsourcing is a way to cut costs
* Outsourcing eases labor shortages
* Outsourcing cuts payroll costs
* Outsourcing allows companies to focus on core competencies
* Outsourcing reduces or eliminates some capital expenditures

Outsourcing also allows businesses to change their corporate culture. If companies have renegade groups that are costly, ineffective, or difficult to manage, that group can be outsourced. This enables employers to change their workplace environment on-the-fly.

Still, most companies outsource projects in order to reduce costs and to gain outside expertise. A survey by “The Conference Board” indicated the following “Top-10″ outsourcing objectives (numbers are approximate):

* Reduce Costs (40%)
* Access to Expertise (38%)
* Improve Internal Service (37%)
* Focus on Core Business (34%)
* Maximize Resources (27%)
* Internal Flexibility (25%)
* Improve External Service (24%)
* Changing Customer Needs (20%)
* World Class Standards (15%)
* Continuous Improvement (15%)

When deciding to outsource your packaging, the real litmus test is whether outsourcing adds value. Does it really reduce costs? Is the investment in in-house training and machinery too great? Does outsourcing a service give you access to people with greater skill sets or companies with more resources available to them?

Bottom line: outsourcing your packaging service needs is about more than just saving money. It is a strategic option for savvy businesses and entrepreneurs.

Share This

Earning the Right Recognition

Brochures can help businesses became well-known and showcase themselves effectively.

Keywords:
brochures, printing, services

Its 11:00 on a Saturday morning, in the frantic world of people trendiness, time is almost running out. With a fistful of dollars in their pocket, they start their search for a new face at a sunglasses rack in a crowded suburban shopping mall. What are they really looking for? What do they want?

With the rapid advancement in fashion, technology and in almost everything around these days, people have become fussier and more careful in what they buy and what they avail of. Even with a few dollars in their pocket they set out to find the best that they can buy with their money. For this reason, competition has become stiff and almost all businessmen do just about anything to get attention and be recognized by many customers. But there are a few business owners who fail to recognize the need to improve their marketing strategy. Some because of a big sale in the past few months feel assured that sales would continue to improve; hence, they assume that there is no need to strengthen their marketing strategy. But this too much confidence often results to a distressing failure.

If you are a business owner ask yourself – who are the biggest name in your line of business? Who are considered as experts with maximum credibility in your line of work? How did you get to know about these other people’s business? Did you read an article about them or learned about them through a brochure you saw on a visit in a hotel in your locality? The point is that these distinguished businesses became well-known because they were able to showcase themselves effectively. And perhaps they were able to do this through their brochures.

If you need to inform or promote new or existing products, you can do this through your brochures. You can have them printed in two colors or four colors depending on your need. You can also choose from a variety of styles, from clean simple classical brochures to the most impressive, detailed and technological full-colored designs. If it is the cost that you are concerned about, there are many print shops today that can do your project at affordable prices. It is good to know that modern technology has enabled printers to do print projects at competitive prices. This can greatly benefit businesses and other individuals who have printing needs.

So show off yourself and your business to attract more and more of these modern day trendy people. But showing off doesn’t have to sound like “Hey, look at me. Aren’t my business great?” It doesn’t even have to look like you are bragging. There are a lot of appropriate ways to let a wider audience know how good your business is without ever saying so. Thus, if you want to spend less effort and money on marketing yourself, start by letting your prospective customers know how good you and your business really is.

Share This

Five Ways To Attract Attention At Your Next Exhibition

Attending an exhibition is still one of the best ways to get in front of thousands of potential customers in one go. Whilst your internet site might be accessible by people the world over, an exhibition is only attended by people who are interested in your sector and it’s an ideal opportunity to make your presence known.

1. Choose your space well

If you leave it too late, all the best stand space has already gone. Book early and you can have your pick of the best spots …

Keywords:
display stands, point of sale display

Attending an exhibition is still one of the best ways to get in front of thousands of potential customers in one go. Whilst your internet site might be accessible by people the world over, an exhibition is only attended by people who are interested in your sector and it’s an ideal opportunity to make your presence known.

1. Choose your space well

If you leave it too late, all the best stand space has already gone. Book early and you can have your pick of the best spots – directly opposite the entrance; unmissable from the bar or cafй; a corner stand or a stand at the top of the stairs. These are all great places for your company to be, so the earlier you book, the better your chances of getting a top spot.

2. Think about design

Your stand needs to be eye-catching, so think about what distinguishes you from the opposition and use it to attract attention. From bright colours to unusual photography, there are lots of ways you can stand out from the crowd. Enlist the help of your designer to make sure that you do.

3. Clever marketing

Exhibitions are full of giveaways and we know that most of it goes in the bin when delegates get back to their hotel rooms. Be creative with your marketing. Consumer-led companies can give away vouchers, whilst others need to look for gifts that add value or have immediate use. Put your brand on water bottles or blister plasters or face wipes – anything that’s going to attract the attention of a hassled executive.

4. Get your displays right

Stands that are crowded with leaflets or where information isn’t readily available are often by-passed. Delegates don’t always want to speak to you, but they might want to take your literature and they shouldn’t have to fight their way to the back of your stand to get it. Use a variety of display systems for products and literature to entice people onto your stand rather than shy away from it.

5. Smile

You’d be surprised how often stands are by-passed because the stand staff are eating, drinking, smoking or looking downright unapproachable. It’s amazing the difference that a smiling, welcoming face can make – the difference between netting a big client and getting nothing at all.

Share This

Merchant Account Set Up

Owners of small businesses who hope to increase their profits may have questions about a merchant account set up. Although perhaps interested in applying for this special type of account through a banker or preferred lender, they may be unsure of the costs and other requirements for getting equipped to process credit card payments. Since it is always wise to find out about required expenses before asking for a new account, business owners should carefully review the terms and…

Keywords:
Merchant Account Set Up

Owners of small businesses who hope to increase their profits may have questions about a merchant account set up. Although perhaps interested in applying for this special type of account through a banker or preferred lender, they may be unsure of the costs and other requirements for getting equipped to process credit card payments. Since it is always wise to find out about required expenses before asking for a new account, business owners should carefully review the terms and fees associated with a merchant services account, along with any other information that will help them understand how to set up a merchant account.

One of the first things you will need to know is how to apply for a merchant account set up. This part is easy enough. You just have to do an Internet search to find a list of the available lenders who are eager to offer your company this valuable service. Those that seem to be a little iffy you will want to avoid, naturally. These are the companies with whose names you are unfamiliar or who have not been in business very long. It is probably a good idea to look for companies with a solid reputation or history. In fact, you may want to ask trusted business colleagues for a recommendation. Another option is to check with the bank where your company has its accounts at present. Perhaps that lender offers a good rate on a merchant account.

After being approved for a merchant account set up, the next step is to decide what type of services you would like your business to implement. Do you want to set up a simple credit card processor for checkout transactions in addition to check and debit processing? This could speed checkout time as well as please customers who prefer to use a credit card instead of cash or check for your products or services. Another way to use your merchant account is to purchase or lease a wireless credit card processor for point-of-sale payments, which will help you avoid the added step of mailing invoices and then awaiting payment.

Your merchant account set up will be based on certain fees, possibly including but not limited to an application fee, set up fee, gateway expense, or annual membership cost. Don’t forget that there will be a per-transaction fee or monthly percentage rate that you will need to pay for merchant account services. If you decide to put up a company Website, the merchant account could cover basic set up fees and maintenance service, though you will need to work this out with your account provider. Make sure you understand all of the terms and conditions of your merchant account before you sign an agreement.

Your company can enter the world of electronic commerce, or “e-commerce,” almost immediately and bring your customers into the 21st century of bill-paying when you qualify for a merchant services account. Start browsing offers by established lenders today to find the best deal for your merchant account set up.

Share This

Google Adsense: Computer Knowledge and Direct Deposit

Do I Need to be Computer Savvy to Use Google Adsense?

You don’t have to be a techno-geek to use Google Adsense.

Keywords:
Google Adsense Computer Knowledge and Direct Deposit

In fact, you don’t need any more technical knowledge than you do to surf the web. Google Adsense is very user-friendly with a comprehensive support site to answer any question you might have.

You are first walked through the sign-up process where you are prompted for any and all information needed. You will then have a couple of days while you are waiting for your account to be approved. This would be a good time to familiarize yourself with the program policies, which of course you read before you signed up. But look again. Make sure the site you are registering doesn’t have any of the no-nos listed. For instance, some profanity is allowed, but nothing excessive. What is excessive? That could be a gray area, but if you’re in doubt, don’t register that site. There’s plenty of sites with little or no profanity.

Look at the support site while you are waiting on Google Adsense and see what other’s are saying and doing. Most of all, have fun. Your Google Adsense dollars are just waiting to be counted.

Does Google Adsense Offer Direct Deposit?

Google adsense offers various payment options for publishers.

Electronic Funds Transfer (ETF) is offered in 16 countries whereby your payments are deposited directly into your bank account in your local currency. Check Google Adsense support to see which countries participate in this option. You will need to sign up for this option after your application is approved by signing into your account. You then click the edit link adjacent to the payment header. After you fill out the bank information, Google Adsense will make a small test deposit into your account. This is for security purposes to assure the account is really your own.

Watch your account for the test deposit to post, usually within just a few days. After you have received the deposit from Google, log back in to your account and in the Payment Details section, click Verify Account. You then will need to enter the amount of the test deposit. If you do not complete this step, your payments will be on hold. Once you enter the test deposit amount correctly, your bank will be approved and selected as your form of payment.

Share This

Use Your Ebay Store To Double Your Sales

If you don’t have an eBay store you could be losing money big time.

Why?

When eBay stores first came out they were a flop. They actually wanted you to pay big time listing fees to put items in your store for up to 30 days but store items don’t appear in the regular eBay searches.

Because eBay stores were not doing that well eBay added “Good Till Canceled” listings. The listing fees are only 5 cents every 30 days which is a total bargain. But the big problem again is …

Keywords:
ebay, make money online, marketing

If you don’t have an eBay store you could be losing money big time.

Why?

When eBay stores first came out they were a flop. They actually wanted you to pay big time listing fees to put items in your store for up to 30 days but store items don’t appear in the regular eBay searches.

Because eBay stores were not doing that well eBay added “Good Till Canceled” listings. The listing fees are only 5 cents every 30 days which is a total bargain. But the big problem again is eBay store items don’t appear in regular searches.

So how can you still make money?

Simple, list a “Good Till Canceled” item and then PROMOTE it using you regular eBay auctions. Put a section at the bottom of your auctions with “mini ads” directly linked to your eBay store items.

You are not breaking any rules because you are linking to your own eBay auction which is allowed. Because eBay stores items are so much cheaper to list, it’s an excellent way generate higher profits.

There are three different store subscriptions for an eBay store; eBay Basic, Featured, and Anchor, in order of price. Of course, you would want to start out with the Basic Store ($15.95 p/month) rather than Anchor ($499.95 p/month), but you might want to upgrade to the Featured option ($49.95 p/month). With a featured store, you get $30 of free eBay keywords every month, meaning that you can place your listing at the top of the page for the keywords you choose. This means, more exposure, and can also significantly increase your store sales.

Owning an eBay store will not only bring you more sales, but it’ll cost you less by using it in the long run. These are just some of the many advantages of owning an eBay store. Once you own one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t go for it sooner.

Try this method out. It could make you a lot of money.

Share This

Why Rush Postcards Sell?

Why are postcards eliciting a powerful impact on me? All I know is that they are beautiful, striking, moving and pleasing to the eyes. The ones I am keeping for several years now are still clean, bright colored and the text are clear and crisp.

Keywords:
Postcards Printing, Commercial Postcard Printing, Color Postcards Printing, Rush Postcards Printing

Postcards! Postcards! I love ‘em!

Postcards are very much part of my precious personal collections. Aside from scented and floating candles, I also have postcards as my fetish. I am fascinated not only because of the thoughtfulness that other people shows by the mere act of giving the same but because of the fact that the postcards they are sending will be part of my valuable collection.

Definitely, I love to pile and collect. Then, collect and collect. In fact, some of my friends are telling me that I am so weird for keeping all those postcards given to me. Up to now, that craze has not reduced even a bit, that is as far as I am concerned.

Why are postcards eliciting a powerful impact on me? All I know is that they are beautiful, striking, moving and pleasing to the eyes. The ones I am keeping for several years now are still clean, bright colored and the text are clear and crisp. This is because I am keeping them safely. Another factor is the material used. They are usually created with the use of special papers, colors and materials. The paper complements pictures. Shades come in a wide-variety of choices. Bright, pastel, monochromatic, sepia, classic – say it, and you will be grateful they have it! Graphics and images are also flexible in a way that they include every holiday, emotion, event and significant pictures you can think of. The layout and the type of art used also play a vital factor. These are the reasons why they are clear and captivating.

In addition, postcard printing services are now going extra mile by providing aqueous coatings to add luster and glossy look. This was made possible by highly innovative printing equipments. What’s more gratifying is that they are rush. Rush postcard printing is so popular nowadays. This is because, people move in a fast-paced complicated world and delay can entail damage and loss.

Aside from the aforementioned reasons, rush postcard printing also welcomes personalization or customization. All you have to do is prepare the text and pictures or images, then add your message. Give them to the printer together with your instructions. After that, you can leave your trusted printer with peace of mind.

Rush postcard printing companies are using state-of-the-art printing equipments. These equipments may vary from one printing company to another. Be sure to transact with a company that has efficient and reliable postcard printing equipments in order to result to quality and lasting rush postcards. If you do that, chances are, you will be a repeat customer or a hooked collector like me!

Share This

Reward And Recognition; The Glare Of Publicity

The company newsletter hit Ruth Kenyon’s desk and there was her picture on the front page under the heading “Employee of the Month”. A simple paragraph of text explained that she had single-handedly reduced the debtor days from 39 to 32 in a period of 6 weeks. If others didn’t understand the significance of her work, it didn’t matter, she just felt a huge wave of pride sweep over her.

Even the smallest company has a reception area. This is a great place to publicize how go…

Keywords:
employee, recognition, employee recognition, motivation, employee motivation, rewards, staff rewards

The company newsletter hit Ruth Kenyon’s desk and there was her picture on the front page under the heading “Employee of the Month”. A simple paragraph of text explained that she had single-handedly reduced the debtor days from 39 to 32 in a period of 6 weeks. If others didn’t understand the significance of her work, it didn’t matter, she just felt a huge wave of pride sweep over her.

Even the smallest company has a reception area. This is a great place to publicize how good your people really are. Fast food restaurants are some of the best at this form of recognition; however every company should be telling its customers and suppliers how good its people are. An A4 size sheet can provide a photograph and a little background about the reasons for choosing this individual for recognition. Keep the display fresh, don’t leave the same information on display for more than a week otherwise regular visitors will think you only have one good employee.

If you have an in-company newsletter this is an ideal place to publicize the success of individuals and teams. Have a professional article written about the work that was done and include a photograph. Also make sure the CEO includes a quote about his or her interest in the work.

Every year companies produce their annual report for shareholders. Typically they will include photographs of the executives and name each one. They also feature a range of photographs of their operations showing dynamic employees doing their jobs. It gives people such a buzz if their name is included in the caption saying something like “Frank Rodgers and Mary Knight producing Zenfda components on the state-of-the-art FRANMAR digital router” rather than the usual, anonymous “FRANMAR digital router: Investment in Technology” caption.

Company websites can be very informative about products and services but rarely do they take the opportunity to talk about the people in the organization. There is sometimes reluctance to publish anyone’s name on a website for fear that they may be targeted by spam mail or more sinister approaches, however this can easily be worked around by using initials or only first names. There is no good reason not to use this medium too.

If at all possible avoid publishing only a list of names as this leaves fertile imaginations to conjure up conspiracy theories about why they are not included.

There is no good reason in these days of digital cameras and camera-phones to avoid producing a photograph of the person being recognized for their contribution to the business. Purists might say that the photographs should be of studio quality but in the interests of rapid turn-around the quality of the images will be forgiven in favor of instant feedback.

Later in the day Ruth Kenyon passed by the coffee machine and was instantly recognized. She met the barrage of questions about debtor-days with aplomb and educated her colleagues. The perils of celebrity are that you must eventually face your fans.

Share This