Is “I’m busy” an acceptable excuse? Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner Recently, I had dinner at a small neighborhood restaurant with two other couples. We are all small business owners, in the service industry, but not necessarily hospitality. The restaurant wasn’t super busy, but there were a few occupied tables. I had asked for a water refill from our busser. We patiently waited. Then, after noticing this same busser walking around in circles and attending to a few tables at a leisurely pace; I thought maybe he forgot. As the same staff came around, I nicely asked if we could h ..read more

SURVEY SAYS The Importance of Post Event Surveys Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner Generating a post event survey to attendees within 1-3 days after the event is over is often helpful with planning annual or repetitive events. Seeking feedback from what worked well, what didn’t work, and what could be better next time helps to lay out the foundation for planning the next one. Surveys do not have to be long. 5-10 questions with a mix of scale rating and opportunity to add comments is usually recommended. Also, a survey should not take more than 10 minutes to fill out. Participat ..read more

EVENT PLANNING 2021 It’s not pretty, but it’s safe! Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner September 2, 2021 The summer of 2021 has provided opportunities to get back into the “new realities” of planning live events. We have planned some unique events in the past few months. The month of May brought along a new corporate client who was offering vaccinations to their employees, vendors, and their families. We quickly learned how to socially distance ourselves at their location as they had recording cameras in their facilities that monitored all employees and guests to ensure everyone ..read more

Pandemic of 2020 Brings on New Terminology Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner 9 October 2020 COVID-19 and the Pandemic of 2020 has introduced us to some new lingo. Just as the meetings and events industry, as well as hospitality in general, has their own set of phrases and terms, it seems like the pandemic created some new phrases too. Who heard of phrases such as “flatten the curve” before COVID-19? How many of us are tired of the word, “pivot”? What about “the new normal”? A new phrase I heard recently in a Zoom meeting was “Work-cation.”  This is spending time working ..read more

Pizza Party for 2000 please.  Julie Wong CMP, Meeting and Event Planner August  2019 “Let’s just order pizza for the entire office” is a common phrase that might be heard in a company. We were tasked with what initially appeared to be a simple lunch celebration for a corporate client who had several office locations in northern and southern California.  It sounds easy to just dial in or order online a bunch of pizzas to be delivered to a few offices and Voila, easy as 1-2-3! Well, not so fast…. What if you are trying to feed more than 500 employees in a building ..read more

THE MEANING OF HOSPITALITY What Did You Say? Michael St. Peters, Event Operations Manager May 2019 Picture this: It’s Sunday evening and you’re thinking about Monday morning and how you have to go to the company annual meeting. Imagine if you got out of bed the next morning and your day was to be filled with happiness because of a few words or phrases? “Good morning”; “What a wonderful day”; “I hope you have a great day”; “May I help you with that?”;  “Can I hold the door for you?”;  “Can I get anything for you?”; “What do you need? I can help”; “Is there anything els ..read more

CELEBRATING OUR COMPANY  JOURNEY Past, Present and Future  Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner April 2019 “Owning and operating a business is a full-time job and either you love it, or need to get out!” I have heard this many times over the years since I started my event planning business, which you know as The Event Concierge, in 2006. As an owner, there are a lot of times where you do think about the past, present and future of the business. How did I get to where I am now?  Am I still as passionate about what I do as when I started?  What keeps my ..read more

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EVENT Watch Your Time Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner  March 2019 Some say it is all in the timing. Well, as a planner, most of the time it is! People joke about others always looking at their watches. However, in order to ensure the timeliness of programs, events, or special occasions, you do have to be the one to watch the clock.   As the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun!”  Sometimes it is true, and other times it is work to ensure the timing is on schedule with the fun.  Most people don’t really thi ..read more

PROMOTE YOUR BRAND  Gifts, Gadgets and Giveaways Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner 19 February 2019  Take a look around your office or home. How many branded gifts, gadgets or giveaway items have you received from an event you attended?    A branded gift could be an item as simple as a pen or something as extravagant as a leather backpack with a company name branded into it. I have a favorite insulated client logo bag that I use often when I travel because it holds plenty, is insulated for my water bottle or travel snacks, and has extra compartments ..read more

WORKING TOGETHER Our Event Planning Partners Julie Wong, CMP, Meeting and Event Planner 08 January 2019 Our event purveyors can have a magnificent impact on the smooth planning of a successful event. Event purveyors are also commonly referred to as suppliers, vendors and retailers. You may know them as our caterer, entertainer, rental company, florist, or audio visual source. We are proud to work with them as our event planning partners.  Although we are considered the customer in this relationship since we may be purchasing goods or services from them, we strive to create ..read more