Using Facebook as a marketing tool is almost mandatory. But before you ask clients to friend you or follow you on Twitter, consider the most effective uses of social media. Here are some tips from Giovanni Gallucci, an award-winning new media producer, author and digital media strategist.
Research. Learn how to find your existing and potential customers. Search for groups and buckets of people who share a demographic on the social media sites, then join the groups and start interacting.
Expand, don’t replace. Use social media to amp up current strategies, not replace them. “Some small business owners and entrepreneurs think social media is going to come in and replace their other types of advertising and marketing,” says Gallucci. “We find best success when we use sites like Twitter to compliment other advertising and marketing tactics.”
Build slowly. Start with just one, two, maybe three sites that make sense for your industry. Try tactics like building groups for disseminating information, posting giveaways on Facebook and sharing links about new trends on Twitter.
Protect your reputation. Be mindful about how your brands and products are perceived. Be careful about what you say online and how you respond to a customer’s posted comments and concerns. Address any problems and clearly explain what went wrong.
Keep up the momentum. If you don’t find value initially, don’t give up, Gallucci advises. There’s no magical number for how long it takes to get traction. You need to give yourself enough time so you can build a following.
Source: NAFE Magazine (Smart Talk)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter, Happy Spring!
Here's hoping you had a wonderful Easter weekend and that Spring is off to a good start for all! Check out this creative Easter project featured on the Martha Stewart website... The Incredible Egg!
Click here to find out more about the project, as well as other neat, crafty finds!
Click here to find out more about the project, as well as other neat, crafty finds!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Washington D.C.’s Top Ten New and Anticipated Venues in 2011
1. The Hay-Adams Hotel Rooftop: with a panoramic view of the White House and downtown Washington, the new space opened in January after undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. It features floor-to-ceiling windows, a wraparound terrace and has five additional separate rooms to for customized events for groups of 15 to 300.
2. Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel: Less than one mile from Reagan National, this space opened in March in the Arlington section of Crystal City. It features 15 meeting rooms with more than 17,000 square feet of meeting space.
3. Graffiato: A two-level restaurant seating 150 people will be Top Chef Contestant Mike Isabella’s first restaurant coming in the spring and offering an Italian-inspired menu. Groups can reserve the second level for events.
4. Lincoln: Recently opened this spring, this 210-seat space includes private dining, a main dining room and a bar area.
5. Todd Gray’s Watershed: this 6,500-square-foot restaurant space on the second floor of the Hilton garden Inn in Washington, D.C. will feature a seafood menu. Initial plans are for the dining room to sit 80 people including a 20-seat bar, a patio, and several banquet rooms to seat 165 people.
6. Fiola: Slated to open this Spring in the Penn Quarter, the 140-seat restaurant will offer what Chef Fabio Trabocchi calls "gourmet but accessible" menu that will a huge difference from what he offered at his previous restaurant, Maestro.
7. The Virtue Feed and Grain: Coming to the Town of Alexandria in the spring of 2011 will boast a two-level, 316-seat Irish-American pub with views of the Potomac River, Waterfront Park, Wales Ally, and Union Street with an additional 60 seats on the elevated deck on Wales Alley.
8. The Hirshhorn Bubble Museum: Designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro of New York, is scheduled to open its new space on the mall sometime in 2011 but the 145-foot tall inflatable auditorium is scheduled to be inflated during the summer of 2012. Within the bubble, the courtyard will accommodate 500 to 800 seats for an array of public events.
9. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial: Designed by the Roma Design Group, the new $120 million is scheduled to open on August 28 featuring a 30-foot statue of Dr. King called the "Stone of Hope" created by sculptor Lei Yixin of China.
10. Italian Cinema/Italian Shirt Laundry: Mark Weiss, the restaurateur collaborating with ABDO Development will open two new Italian-themed restaurants in the 14th Street Corridor in late 2011, Italian Cinema and Italian Shirt Laundry. Stay tuned!
Thank you, BizBash Media.
2. Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel: Less than one mile from Reagan National, this space opened in March in the Arlington section of Crystal City. It features 15 meeting rooms with more than 17,000 square feet of meeting space.
3. Graffiato: A two-level restaurant seating 150 people will be Top Chef Contestant Mike Isabella’s first restaurant coming in the spring and offering an Italian-inspired menu. Groups can reserve the second level for events.
4. Lincoln: Recently opened this spring, this 210-seat space includes private dining, a main dining room and a bar area.
5. Todd Gray’s Watershed: this 6,500-square-foot restaurant space on the second floor of the Hilton garden Inn in Washington, D.C. will feature a seafood menu. Initial plans are for the dining room to sit 80 people including a 20-seat bar, a patio, and several banquet rooms to seat 165 people.
6. Fiola: Slated to open this Spring in the Penn Quarter, the 140-seat restaurant will offer what Chef Fabio Trabocchi calls "gourmet but accessible" menu that will a huge difference from what he offered at his previous restaurant, Maestro.
7. The Virtue Feed and Grain: Coming to the Town of Alexandria in the spring of 2011 will boast a two-level, 316-seat Irish-American pub with views of the Potomac River, Waterfront Park, Wales Ally, and Union Street with an additional 60 seats on the elevated deck on Wales Alley.
8. The Hirshhorn Bubble Museum: Designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro of New York, is scheduled to open its new space on the mall sometime in 2011 but the 145-foot tall inflatable auditorium is scheduled to be inflated during the summer of 2012. Within the bubble, the courtyard will accommodate 500 to 800 seats for an array of public events.
9. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial: Designed by the Roma Design Group, the new $120 million is scheduled to open on August 28 featuring a 30-foot statue of Dr. King called the "Stone of Hope" created by sculptor Lei Yixin of China.
10. Italian Cinema/Italian Shirt Laundry: Mark Weiss, the restaurateur collaborating with ABDO Development will open two new Italian-themed restaurants in the 14th Street Corridor in late 2011, Italian Cinema and Italian Shirt Laundry. Stay tuned!
Thank you, BizBash Media.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
2011 ISES Northeast Regional Education Conference Recap
This was an amazing conference: the education was great, the speakers inspiring and it was wonderful to see and networking with colleagues from near and as far as Sydney, Australia.
All the services and décor were donated by ISES members who all worked very hard to make this conference a success; but again, we never expect anything less from ISES members – we work hard, party harder and put out the best events! Moreover, we cannot forget to thank all the sponsors for all the in-kind contributions.
The opening luncheon was spearheaded by David Merrell, AOO Events who was fabulous and shared the newest design trends, which were all amazing. On Monday night, we enjoyed a fabulous luau with great food and entertainment at the beautiful Harrah’s Resort poolside. The conference concluded with a lavish brunch and a phenomenal presentation by Brett Culp where he shared his award-winning filmmaking approach as an effective and profitable marketing technique. He was brilliant!
Education session topics included:
- Event Technology Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2011
- Catering Events at Hotels – the Inside Information on Negotiating the Best Deals
- The Perfect Event Redefined: Build Your Reputation One “Moment” at a Time
- CSEP Exam Preparation Tips, Techniques and Changes
- Get You “Creative” On The Art of Being Creative & Working with Creative People
- Marketing Trends and Best Practices to Generate Business Success
- But Don’t Green Events Cost More Money? Top Ten Tips for Greening Your Events AND Saving Money
- Is it Possible to Achieve a Design “WOW,” in Today’s Economy?
- Strategic Partners – Making the Connection
- Master Tricky Sales Situations
- How to Get and Stay in The Event Planning Business
- Sexy Tents: A Peek Under The Covers
- Scentertainment®! Celebrating the Senses!
- Branding – What Your Image Says About You!
- Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Fire Marshal?
- Tips to Ensure Your Event is Safe Without Compromising Creativity
- Get in the Spot Light of Social Media
- Dealing with Event Disasters, Are you the Problem or the Solution?
- WWSF…The WOW World of Special FX
- The Facts of Light: An Event Professionals Guide to Understanding Lighting
- The Newest ISES Member Benefit – Learn the “Insider Secrets” of Credit Card Processing
Sunday, March 13, 2011
What's Next in Meeting Technology
Meetings and Connections (M&C) Magazine, asked several forward-thinking tech experts to share their projections about tomorrow's hottest meeting technologies:
1. "Mobile apps for events will become true revenue generators." -Bob Vaez, President and Founder of Toronto-based 5Touch Solutions, which makes the EventMobi app.
2. "Events will be one piece of a larger communications strategy." -Minneapolis-based event technology consultant Samuel J. Smith.
3. "Contact information exchange will become more streamlined." -Bellingham, Wash.-based consultant Corbin Ball. Note: it is already possible to exchange information between an iPhone and Android using the Bump API.
4. "Virtual components will become more engaging." -Samuel Smith
For more in-depth reading, see the January 2011 issue of M&C Magazine.
1. "Mobile apps for events will become true revenue generators." -Bob Vaez, President and Founder of Toronto-based 5Touch Solutions, which makes the EventMobi app.
2. "Events will be one piece of a larger communications strategy." -Minneapolis-based event technology consultant Samuel J. Smith.
3. "Contact information exchange will become more streamlined." -Bellingham, Wash.-based consultant Corbin Ball. Note: it is already possible to exchange information between an iPhone and Android using the Bump API.
4. "Virtual components will become more engaging." -Samuel Smith
For more in-depth reading, see the January 2011 issue of M&C Magazine.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
How Meetings Benefit from Today’s Technologies
Five technologies that are changing meetings: Some tech-savvy planners are already employing to make their meetings more efficient and effective.
1. Mobile Apps: On a basic level, there are two types of mobile apps for events: a web-based program that might be accessed through an Internet-enabled phone, iPod or tablet, or downloadable software that runs natively on a specific device.
Two categories of mobile apps that are relevant to meetings:
2. Social Media for Events: Social media facilitates interaction, networking, and a dialog among participants -- goals not unlike those of many meetings.
3. Virtual/Hybrid Events: from basic (and free) streaming options through full virtual show platforms and professional video production houses.
For more, visit: M&C January 2011 issue.
1. Mobile Apps: On a basic level, there are two types of mobile apps for events: a web-based program that might be accessed through an Internet-enabled phone, iPod or tablet, or downloadable software that runs natively on a specific device.
Two categories of mobile apps that are relevant to meetings:
- Meetings management apps: Often free and provide planners the ability to tap into web-based meeting platforms from their mobile devices while on-site or in transit.
- Meeting apps for attendees: Usually free, these event-specific apps can be downloaded by attendees. May include all of the speakers, scheduling, seminars, keynote and attendee information, exhibit floor maps and/or everything from social-media platform links to attendee messaging or local restaurant listings.
2. Social Media for Events: Social media facilitates interaction, networking, and a dialog among participants -- goals not unlike those of many meetings.
3. Virtual/Hybrid Events: from basic (and free) streaming options through full virtual show platforms and professional video production houses.
For more, visit: M&C January 2011 issue.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Tea Tradition, Part II
I thought it would be nice to include a little more on the origins of tea after last week's post.
Tea in China:
It is impossible to know whether there is any truth to this story but tea drinking was popular in China many centuries before it had even been heard of in the West. Containers for tea have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), but it was under the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) that tea became firmly established as the national drink of China. It became such a favorite that during the late Eighth Century a writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, the Ch'a Ching, or Tea Classic.
Tea in Japan:
Tea was first introduced to Japan by Japanese Buddhist monks who had traveled to China to study. Tea drinking has become a vital part of Japanese culture, as seen in the development of the Tea Ceremony, which may be rooted in the rituals described in the Ch'a Ching.
Tea in Europe:
In 1560 A.D., the Portuguese missionary Jesuit Father Jasper de Cruz was the first European to encounter and write about tea. After its arrival in Portugal, it was shipped to Lisbon, then to France, Holland and the Baltic countries.
Tea Arrives in England:
Although we assume that tea originated in England and the British culture, it is interesting to find out that the first sample of tea reached England when Catherine de Braganza brought chests of it in her dowry for her marriage to Charles II in 1663. Charles and Catherine's affinity for tea quickly popularized it amongst the upper classes and the British tea trade began in earnest in the 1670's, thanks to the British East India Company. By 1880, afternoon tea had spread to the homes of the upper classes and to tea shops across the country. There were two types of tea traditions: low tea and high tea. Low tea was for the wealthy aristocrats. It was served elegantly with menus centered around small cakes, dainty sandwiches, assorted sweets, other gourmet tidbits and, of course, tea and where the emphasis was not only on presentation but conversation. Midway through the Industrial Revolution, working classes adopted a variation of high tea for themselves: a heavier meal served with tea at 5 PM, upon their return home from work and consisted of meats, vegetables and tea. The U.S. has a slightly different focus on some aspects of afternoon tea and the terms high and low teas have changed in today's society, as people often associate the term "high tea" with the wealthy and "low tea" with the working class.
Tea in China:
It is impossible to know whether there is any truth to this story but tea drinking was popular in China many centuries before it had even been heard of in the West. Containers for tea have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), but it was under the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) that tea became firmly established as the national drink of China. It became such a favorite that during the late Eighth Century a writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, the Ch'a Ching, or Tea Classic.
Tea in Japan:
Tea was first introduced to Japan by Japanese Buddhist monks who had traveled to China to study. Tea drinking has become a vital part of Japanese culture, as seen in the development of the Tea Ceremony, which may be rooted in the rituals described in the Ch'a Ching.
Tea in Europe:
In 1560 A.D., the Portuguese missionary Jesuit Father Jasper de Cruz was the first European to encounter and write about tea. After its arrival in Portugal, it was shipped to Lisbon, then to France, Holland and the Baltic countries.
Tea Arrives in England:
Although we assume that tea originated in England and the British culture, it is interesting to find out that the first sample of tea reached England when Catherine de Braganza brought chests of it in her dowry for her marriage to Charles II in 1663. Charles and Catherine's affinity for tea quickly popularized it amongst the upper classes and the British tea trade began in earnest in the 1670's, thanks to the British East India Company. By 1880, afternoon tea had spread to the homes of the upper classes and to tea shops across the country. There were two types of tea traditions: low tea and high tea. Low tea was for the wealthy aristocrats. It was served elegantly with menus centered around small cakes, dainty sandwiches, assorted sweets, other gourmet tidbits and, of course, tea and where the emphasis was not only on presentation but conversation. Midway through the Industrial Revolution, working classes adopted a variation of high tea for themselves: a heavier meal served with tea at 5 PM, upon their return home from work and consisted of meats, vegetables and tea. The U.S. has a slightly different focus on some aspects of afternoon tea and the terms high and low teas have changed in today's society, as people often associate the term "high tea" with the wealthy and "low tea" with the working class.
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