We’re always scouring the web and trade mags for new and creative ideas to bring to our events. We came across some great design elements in the December issue of Event Solutions Magazine and thought we’d share. Please let us know if you’ve used any of these cool products at your events, and also what your favorites are this season!

Beautiful Buule: Rental options can sometimes be stagnant when it comes to dressing up a stage or providing an amazing backdrop. For the designers out there, make sure to check out Buule (rhymes with Jewel) if you haven’t already. These are beautifully crafted drapery panels that can be seamlessly attached to one another in five foot increments creating a variety of different looks, from one-column to an elegant full-stage backdrop. According to the manufacturer, a 24-inch shipping cube can hold enough panels to create a 30-ft by 50-ft display.

Paint Your Own Projection Screen: Screen Goo High Contrast is simply awesome. If you can paint it, you can project on it! This is a coating that can turn any paintable surface into a high performance projection screen. It can produce an impression of depth on a flat surface, and thus perfectly complements the actual physical depth of the structure. The product can accommodate high performance front, rear, or 3D projection, expanding the palette of projection possibilities available to lighting, stage and art directors. Some of the larger Screen Goo screens can be found at the brand new Cosmopolitan, at the new Las Vegas City Center, the Hard Rock Casino, Caesar’s Palace, the Tropicana and almost everywhere else!

Wrap Your Venue: When wind can blow through banner fabric, even the largest outdoor banner systems are possible. That’s the secret to AdMesh windproof banners. Air and music flow through the vinyl-coated banner mesh, so there’s no billowing or hazards. Outdoor mesh banners can be crafted to any size, and can be digitally printed with a logo or message.

High-Styled Outdoor Heaters: Lava recently introduced a new line of pyramid shaped heaters in the US as an answer to the outdated mushroom heaters we all know so well. The major advantage, aside from how cool it looks- is that the unit’s ambient heat radiates from the sides for better 360-degree warming. These heaters are available in five colors, can endure rain and snow, and are easy to assemble. An electronic ignition makes it super easy to fire up the propane tank enclosed in the base, and is even operable by remote! Whoohoo!

 We always love to hear your feedback! Please leave a comment here or email to events@abcey.com.

We were really excited to hear that the AC World Series, Louis Vuitton Cup America’s Cup Challenger Series and the 34th America’s Cup Finals will be sailed in our hometown, San Francisco, Calif. in 2012 and 2013! This is the oldest trophy in modern sport and continues to build upon its rich heritage of leading-edge innovation with an event that is designed to showcase the best sailors in the world on the fastest boats. This will be the first time in 18 years that this worldwide event will be held in the United States. There will be approximately 45 race days, so that means that SF will be experiencing more days of competition than any other international sporting events ever held in this city. Arriving for the first time in the summer of 2012, the sailing will start with two back to back events, the first from the 11th to 19th of August and the second beginning a week later, running from the 27th August through the 2nd September.

The upcoming America’s Cup events in Newport, Rhode Island, San Francisco and San Diego, California are predicted to create thousands of jobs and over $1 billion in economic impact over the next two years. For the first time in history, the America’s Cup will be able to be seen from shore, creating tremendous public access for spectators as well as drawing large spectator crowds to benefit the port cities hosting America’s Cup events. The City of SF estimates over 300,000 visitors on peak viewing days and no tickets are necessary.   Additionally, the America’s Cup is predicted to deliver an estimated over $1 billion economic impact to the San Francisco Bay area, with more than 8,500 jobs that will be created due to the America’s Cup.

ABCey Events is looking forward to working on some of the many events that will be surrounding the actual races. If your company is involved and is interested in some outside event planning or production help, you know who to call!

Rough America’s Cup race day numbers & dates:
AC World Series 2012-2013 Race 1 (Aug. 2012):  7 race days
AC World Series 2012-2013 Race 2 (Sept. 2012:  7 race days
AC Opening events (7/4-7/7 2013):  3 race days
Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series 2013 (7/13-9/1):  32 race days over 51 days
America’s Cup Finals (9/7-9/22 2013):  9 race days over 16 days

On Wednesday night, we attended the SF Weekly Holiday Event at the Academy of Sciences benefiting One Warm Coat. There were hosted bars, hors d’oeuvres, live music, games, crafts, raffle prizes, and most importantly – Fish! We had a great time, but have to say that it lacked some fundamental event planning and production elements. There was a rather large line to get in, and nothing differentiating the ticket holders from guest list or VIP invites. It was pretty chilly out, so we were super excited to get inside after a bit of a wait. There were only two people at the registration desk, so we’re guessing this was one of the reasons for the lengthy line. We know we’re hard to please, but these things are really important!

It’s hard to bash an event that offers a full hosted open bar and food from over 6 Bay Area restaurants. Again, we were super thankful to be invited in the first place. Upon entering, we headed towards the food which for some reason was all crammed in this back area that was almost like a narrow aisle. Everyone was jammed up next to each other and again, and more lines! Why wouldn’t you space out the food throughout the venue a little better? I’m not even sure I know who the caterers were as I wasn’t able to grab any business cards with the masses. We decided to skip dessert and grab a cocktail, but the lines again were so long upstairs that we headed down to the Aquariam and found Artesa, where we were able to get a few tastings. By the time we headed back upstairs for dessert, they were cleared and everything was gone! One vendor was left with some yummy scones, but the rest must have ran out. I was bummed!

There were plenty of Ugly Sweaters, and casino games were provided by Homefry’s. We wanted to play a round of blackjack but weren’t patient enough to wait. I think they needed at least another 5-6 tables or so. There was a mock photobooth set up, in which they used Victoria’s Secret paper as the backdrop. They also used this to cover the registration tables. While this looked nice and creative at first, it quickly began to rip and it just ended up looking like trash all over the floor.

We left as the Raffle was going on, and looks as if they were giving out $1,000 in prizes for donating a coat. Last year’s event donated over 1,200 coats. So, even if the event didn’t have flawless production, this is a pretty good feat! DJ Eric Sharp was great and have nothing bad to say there. We were able to dance for a bit and had a great time overall! SF Weekly- let us help you with your planning next year. We’d be happy to make your event run a bit smoother, and ensure that everyone leaves with raving reviews!

We’re hoping that we get to the point where Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder and Facebook founding president calls us as last minute to pull together an event that warrants over 300 facebook “likes.”  He was celebrating the arrival of his latest venture, Spotify, the European-based music-streaming service that launched in the United States earlier this year and quickly picked up more than 10 million subscribers. Stanlee Gatti was the lucky planner that was hired to produce this incredible last minute event. He says that his crew had to pull the whole thing together in less than two days. “I got the phone call at 12:08 a.m. on Monday night.”

The graffiti theme continued inside the warehouse where soaring Rye Bar cocktail stands and bars teemed with every top-shelf tipple imaginable. All the better to pair with the bounteous McCall Associates buffet stands groaning beneath sushi and lobster bars, spit-roasted suckling pigs, pounds of fresh-sliced proscuitto and Parker’s personal favorite, Mac & Cheese copiously sprinkled with just-shaved truffles, six pounds of the pungent tuber which McCall Executive Chefs Lucas Schoemaker and Josip Martinovic had flown in from France. Amid the exhuberant extravagence, a few whispers about a potential bubble burst wafted upward to the warehouse ceiling bumping into towering chandeliers. “This isn’t old school because the first tech boom was never this good,” observed one partygoer, with a joking aside. “This is about kings and artisans of the court. So it’s more like medieval school.”

Spotify allows users to easily play music and share it with their friends in real time via their Facebook profiles. The collective hope is that increased access and exposure to new music will result in a boost in sales for record companies and maybe an incentive to subscribe to the full-fledged versions of the services on offer.

“What we discovered is the product consumers were willing to pay for was convenience,” Parker said. “Solving the piracy problem can’t happen unless you build a service that will compete with it. The party drew many Silicon Valley and music industry luminaries, including the managers of Top-10 pop acts such as Eminem and Bruno Mars. Zuckerberg made a brief cameo in the pit during Snoop Dogg’s raucous, expletive-laced set while socialites, including author Danielle Steel and former Mayor Willie Brown, mingled with guests on the long white couches that lined the room. (Lady Gaga was rumored to be making an appearance, but that didn’t happen.)

For the entire SF gate article, read here.

People hailing from all over the world arrived around 7:00pm at 25 Lusk in SoMa on Sunday evening, having just come from the 133rd Annual Meeting of the INTA, (International Trademark Association), Conference.  The convention spanned from May 14th-18th, and featured events such as an academic course on international trademark law, advanced mediation training, several receptions, roundtable events, and a Grand Finale at the California Academy of Sciences.

The host of Sunday’s event, CMS Legal, the European provider of legal and tax services, opened their doors to legal professionals who were in town to attend the main conferences.  Some of the attendees were representatives of EPEC from the Netherlands, Thomas Reuters of Belgium, Salans from the Republic of Kazakhstan, MAGS Law Firm of Lithuania, and Boss&Young of China.  These are only a few of the places visitors came from!

CMS members and their guests gathered for a reception on the lower level of 25 Lusk to network, share a delicious meal, and enjoy the soothing vocals of Betty Foo and her band.  Accomplished photographer Dan Blanchard moved about the spacious room to capture the event in its fullest.

ABCey Events was fortunate to have helped with such a wonderful and successful event, and extends a big thank you to CMS Legal and all their guests!

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The Home Away From Homelessness 2011 Gala was a spectacular event!  Held at Terra Gallery on Harrison St., gala attendees enjoyed both a silent and live auction, a mock Oscars ceremony, and a delectable three course meal catered by Jane Hammond Events.  Appetizers were graciously donated by Jim’s BBQ and Radius.  The actual Oscars were homemade statues, and were presented to the children of Home Away who glowed with happiness throughout the entire evening.

During the meal, guests reveled in beautifully touching firsthand accounts of life in homelessness by people who had been through the Home Away program, such as Crystal Stermer, whose story saw not a single dry eye.  Guests also heard compelling keynote speeches made by Dierdre English and founder Jeanie Kortum.

The mood was contagious; the room buzzed with positive energy as attendees knew their tickets were well-purchased.  The auction items were much desired, and gala-goers went home with a sense that they were able to help raise money to keep this wonderful organization alive.

Terra Gallery sparkled with artwork by Eric Strasser, who contributed magnificent inflatable stars for the interior, and by Rob Bucholz, who built enormous building blocks that spelled out “Home Away” and placed them right at the entrance next to the red carpet.  Also gracing the entrance was Sterling Johnson, a man who creates amazing shapes out of bubbles.

The florals, done by Hunt Littlefield, were brightly colored arrangements, in keeping with the Home Away vibe.  A constant flow of ambient music was provided by DJ Deckard and all of the production elements were handled by Bren Taylor of Vidbits Productions.  The wonderful photographs below are courtesy of exceptional photographer, James Hall.

ABCey is extremely pleased with the results of this event, as we were not only able to help foster a beautiful gala environment, but we were able to help Home Away continue on its path of changing lives.

Thank you to all who contributed, all who attended, all of the volunteers who took so much time to make this the event that it was, and to everyone from Home Away for keeping the dream alive!

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In the event planning industry, it is vital to have a good stock of vendors and partners in other related industries in order to produce great events.  One of these vendors must be a DJ you have worked with and whom you know will provide the right kind of atmosphere for various events.  In case you don’t already have a good DJ, here is a set of guidelines by which you can narrow down your search to find one who’s right for you!

1. Consider the DJ’s reputation in the industry: Do a little sleuthing and see if other event planners have used the DJ’s services and have graced him or her with good reviews.  Also check to see if the DJ’s customer reviews are available online and if they are positive and numerous.

2. Review the DJ’s contract thoroughly: As with any vendor you are potentially hiring, know exactly what you are signing.  Read all the find print.  Is the contract vague or does it give detailed information about the services provided?

3. Check to see if the DJ carries full liability insurance: Coverage of at least $1,000,000 is expected.

4. Ask about the DJ’s policies: How will the DJ dress for the event?  Where will the equipment be set up?  How does the DJ stand on drinking at the event? etc.

5. Consider the DJ’s overall attitude and listening skills: It should be the DJ’s primary concern to understand and correctly interpret what exactly the client wants for their event in terms of ambiance and music, and carry these wishes out to their fullest ability.  If their attitude suggests otherwise, look elsewhere.

What kinds of things do you look for in vendors?  How about in DJs?  What are some signs that a vendor is right or wrong for your company?

To hear the rest of these great tips, click here!

Tonight is another installment of Yuri’s night at the Academy of Sciences this evening. Featuring none other than our SF fav dj collective, The Space Cowboys. Yuri’s night is an annual celebration of humanity’s achievements in space. The event takes place each year in April, to commemorate Yuri Gagarin’s first flight into space in 1961, as well as the first launch of the US Space Shuttle in 1981.

The night will include a lecture by Mary Roach, author of Packing for Mars, and best known for her novels Stiff, Spoof, and Bonk. Other activities range from a screening of Dawn of the Space Age in the Planetarium, a Tour of the Night Sky with SF Amateur Astronomers, various visuals throughout the academy, and of course the amazing Space Cowboy DJs!

The Space Cowboys will also be hosting a free event after Yuri Night at MILK on Haight Street.

Purchase tickets to Nightlife here:

https://www.calacademy.org/event_tickets/index.php?d=April+7%2C+2011

As event planners, it is crucial when conceiving an event to focus on the social/socializing opportunities for the attendees before, during and after the event. This element is important in order to increase the ROI, both for you as the event planner for promotional reasons, as well as for your attendees in the interest of networking. Social media has created various creative options to engage your event-goers, and here are just some of the ways from the blog, Go Big Event,  to accomplish maximum socialization.

1. Generate hype around the event before it begins. The best way to do this is by creating event pages on Facebook and Linkedin. Also, a good trick is to create a prize incentive, which you can give out to a random attendee that joins. And always use Twitter to market any prizes, event pages, etc., and be sure to create a hashtag to keep track of comments about the event.
2. Another stellar way to engage with guests before the event is by asking for input on speakers they would like to hear, food they would want to eat, or any other recommendations. You can make this possible through the poll features of Linkedin or Facebook.
3. During the event, encourage guests to tweet and to use the hashtag you created. This way, they can again interact with each other, and it also gives you an opportunity to gauge how they feel about the event. If you are taking questions at the event, ask the attendees to tweet in questions to the hashtag. A good trick to engage the attendees is by uploading pictures or videos at the event to start discussions.
4. After the event, you can again use Facebook or Linkedin to start a discussion to generate feedback about the event, asking the attendees how it could have been improved, what they enjoyed about it, etc.

What other ways have you increased the social opportunities of events you’ve planned? Have you found other, more effective ways to engage your attendees? Let us know what you have found works best for you and your events!

This year’s Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco kicked off today, March 28^th and will continue through March 31^st at the Moscone West.  The event’s audience includes the next-generation web’s designers, developers, entrepreneurs, marketers and business strategists. The expo is showcasing Web 2.0 business models, development paradigms, products, and design strategies for the builders of the next-generation Web. The event spotlights experts, leaders, and under-the-radar innovations through workshops, start-up showcases, speeches and other community events with plenty of opportunity for attendees to converse and collaborate.

Keynote speakers include General Atlantic’s Professor of Marketing at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Jennifer Lynn Aaker, President and CEO of PlayFirst, Inc., Mari Baker, Product Design Manager of Quora, Rebekah Cox, and many more industry leaders.

For all the information you could possibly need about the event, click here! Are you attending the 2011 Web 2.0 Expo here in SF? At ABCey we find it an important learning experience to follow such a massive but well organized event! Fellow event planners, do you have any feedback thus far on the planning of it?