Planning Fabulous Events, Part II

Continuing on our series of blog posts about creating the most memorable event, here are a few more tips to remember.

• Theme: Choose a theme with relevance either to the location or to the customers who will attend. For example, I planned a themed party "Phantom of the Opera" and held it in an old church that was owned by a hotel. Another party I threw was "The Golden Sunset" party. This was held at an aquarium which overlooked the Pacific Ocean. I got lucky and the Golden Sunset appeared at 6:38 p.m. that evening and happened to look exactly like the picture I chose for the invitation. Now, that doesn't happen every day but it make the party just perfect and memorable. For a Star Wars themed party, I chose a Discovery Science Center.

• Venue: Once the theme is chosen, then choose an appropriate venue. You don't always have to rent out a hotel ball room. There are many options depending upon the size of your event. For smaller parties, you may want to rent a yacht for the evening. Or, as in the previous bullet point, a Science Center, Art Museum, Aquarium, or other appropriate venue. Many of your local attractions will rent space for events. Think out of the box and use your imagination ... the sky is the limit.

• Party Favors: I always like to get my guests involved from the invitation on. I like to send them a special item that they have to turn in at the party to enter a raffle, for example. Then upon arrival, I like to get the party started by offering them a specially concocted drink and some other party favor. For example, in the Phantom of the Opera party, I handed out Mardi Gras style masks for each guest. For the aquarium party, I handed out flower leis. That way, everyone got into the theme of the party from the very beginning.

• Entertainment: Hire some entertainment, whether it be just a D.J. spinning the tunes, a band or some other theatrical event, entertainment is a must for a successful event. Again, for example, the party at the Aquarium, I hired a band that played California surfing music akin to the Beach Boys. For the Phantom of the Opera party I hired a hypnotist. It was fun. But, if I had to do it over again, I would have hired a magician. You, see my audience was a bit stiff and really didn't want to be hypnotized. So, I learned a valuable lesson "know your audience".

• Parting Gift: Always remember to provide your guest a parting gift. This could be a photo of them at the event or a small token of your appreciation. I gave my guests a CD of The Phantom of the Opera musical. It kept to the theme of the party and it was a gift that they could listen to forever and remember the event.

Try some of these tips and you, too, will create a memorable event.