Perfect Recipe for the Holiday's: Event Planning Mixed with Social Media

This past Thursday, I was invited to speak on behalf of The RK Group at a social media gathering for Business, Media and Public Relations abbreviated as #bmpr. http://www.thebmpr.com/

The invitation was extended due to:
our presence on Twitter and Facebook,
our followers and fans,
and RK employees who support The RK Group through Social Media.

Other speakers at #bmpr included Tanji Patton (@tanjipatton) a former news anchor with a website and business devoted to her love of French cuisine, SeaWorld GM Dan Decker (@danjdecker) with a live owl and wallabee who fascinated the audience with their beauty (photos by MatthewEgan) and SavorSA (@SavorSA) who provides restaurant reviews throughout the city of San Antonio.

Donna Tuttle’s introduction of The RK Group included praise of our events and tweets with pictures of delicious food that leave her craving more!
Our presentation provided an insight into the RK Group that some members of the audience were unaware of such as our partnership with FEMA subcontractors to assist when a south-eastern natural disaster strikes, our involvement at the Alamodome, Convention Center, USAA, Valero Energy and many charities throughout the city.

We also provided some tips and shortcuts to save money on business and personal holiday parties. Some examples were choose a venue with existing décor or cut down on bar costs with custom signature drinks such as: Dan Decker Daiquiris, Donna Tuttle-tini’s or #BMPR bellinis

While it was tough following the live animal presentation, guests did enjoy our send off gift (via @NTJ) and the chance to win a free office lunch.


Our free lunch winner is: @bkearney (for being the first to Re-Tweet) and @derrich. Congratulations!

Thank you to all who entered our lunch contest, if you’re still hungry remember that RosemaryDelivers!

We are looking forward to next year's #bmpr events and more social media involvement!

~Rachel Kellar~

Today's event expectations are not only met, but exceeded by The RK Group

You’re on a site visit and the venue manager is pointing: “Cake table here, gift drop off here, bar over there and the DJ will be in that far back corner”.... Ahh! Some people have the mind and imagination to handle such vagueness, but others need a tangible representation to envision the plan. That’s where I come in!

I create digital diagrams at The RK Group for events ranging from 50 to 50,000 guests. We work in the Convention Center, famous museums, corporate rooms and huge tents that can pop up anywhere around the city. Creating diagrams is not only helpful for all vendors but has also become a necessity.

Guest seating, bar placement, and emergency exits are some obvious reasons for event diagrams, but also consider the following:

• Where is the caterer entering from? Is the walk so far that the food will be cold by the time it reaches the tables?


• Will there be a crowd around the bar? Bars shouldn’t be placed at a direct entrance, exit or near any significant area. If it’s a bar- people will find it.
  
  

Design Program Example: Meeting Matrix

Works great for Ballrooms. Builds initial layout and inputs correct number of tables and chairs based on guest attendance. This diagram shows seating for 2030 with 10 people per table.

• Will guests be cramped at the table while seated? To avoid cramping while guests are seated allow for 3-4 feet between each table.
  
• Is there a need for lights or AV equipment at your event? If so, it is a great idea to include lighting in the diagram. We produced an event with flat screen TVs showing a video of the charity. We had to be sure chairs were positioned so everyone could see the TV screens.


• Is the venue irregularly shaped or does it have unique attributes? If so, consider your guests and their view of the stage or designated point of interest.
  

Design Program Example: Smart Draw
Provides a blank canvas and allows for different layers to import existing venue layouts

Providing a custom diagram is expected of event professionals and popular venues especially when the venue can provide a floor plan. Some venues, such as private residences, don’t have floor plans available. In any case, if the client requests one, it should become a reality. At The RK Group, we have three different programs in our office that allow us to create various types of diagrams from existing facilities to those that are custom designed. Some provide a bird’s eye view and another shows the view from your exact seat!


Design Program Example: PartyCAD
A CAD program that creates virtual tours of your event space and birds eye view. Allows you to create various types of tent (hoecker, pole, etc). There is even a free online tutorial for this program!


Don’t be afraid to imagine your event and then and ask an event professional to provide a realistic representation. Thanks to industry technology, it is possible!

- Rachel Kellar, Sales Associate, The RK Group