Hello lovelies! It’s been a while since we’ve had a blog post because we’ve been busy planning EPIC events! But worry not, just like Slim Shady- we’re back.

We’ve been working on a brand spankin’ new event coming to OKC on March 31^st– April 2^nd called Design Appetit. At one of our planning committee meetings not too long ago, a committee member brought up a million dollar question: How do we get the word out and get people to come to our event?

An unspeakable amount of hard work goes into planning an event (especially this one because we’ve been planning this shindig since last May). We’ve got awesome entertainment scheduled and delicious – FREE – food, but none of it will matter if only 50 people show up. Not to mention, we would actually end up losing money if that happened, and it’s called a fundRAISER not a fundLOSER – am I right?!

How to Get People At Your Event

There’s the obvious: Social Media. Some of our clients create a Facebook page for their event and then create an event from that Facebook page where they can invite people to RSVP. You can do the same kind of thing with other social media platforms too! Patrick Shea, a marketing manager at HubSpot makes the point in a webinar that social media should complement all of your marketing efforts when it comes to promoting an event. Incorporate your Facebook and Twitter links into your email invites and newsletters. But make sure you’re consistent with your posting on social media. There’s no point in sharing your event’s social media links if you don’t have quality content being shared. Post the link to purchase tickets or pictures of entertainment and auction items that will be at your event to get people interested in coming!

Partner with Industry Organizations and Use Your Sponsors. Lot’s of times our committee members have connections with people in industry organizations who are more than happy to promote our event through their mailing lists and newsletters. This way, your event will be shared with more of the community than it ever would have with just your committee sharing it.
You should also have your sponsors spread the word to their friends. Getting 100 people to bring 10 friends each is way easier than getting 10 people to bring 100 friends each. Make sure to give your sponsors and industry partners a template, so all they have to do is personalize it and send!

Personal Invites. While social media is a sure way to get your event seen with little work on your part, the BEST way to get people to come to your event is to personally invite them. Anything from a phone call to an email to a coffee meeting telling them about this EPIC event that you are a part of and you think they would really enjoy it. When you reach out to somebody like this they are more likely to come 1. Because people have a hard time saying no to your face and 2. Because they feel like you genuinely want them at your event

Here’s the thing though, if you get people to come to your event YOU. HAVE. TO. DELIVER. If your guests have an awesome time at your event they’ll bring their friends next year and your event will continue to grow!

There are so many other ways to get people to come to your event, but those are just a few that we like to use. Until next time, happy planning friends!

Police officers often have a bad rap (especially as of late) and the good that they do often goes unnoticed, but not this time. This week I am featuring one of our long time clients, The Oklahoma City Police Athletic League (OKC PAL).

          PAL is a juvenile crime prevention program providing educational and athletic activities for all children, primarily those in high-risk neighborhoods. OKC PAL brings youth under the constructive influence of responsible adults and police officers that volunteer their time as positive role models. OKC PAL is dedicated to reducing crime by providing safe, healthy alternatives for children from high-risk neighborhoods. PAL exists with the belief children can stay away from negative lifestyle choices such as gangs and drugs when offered positive, healthy alternatives. PAL is not like any other program. It is driven by a philosophy of teamwork, fair play, courtesy and consideration for others.

Every year, PAL receives a grant from Target that allows them to take 20-25 of their PAL kids Christmas shopping.  Target gives each child $100 and they’re accompanied by a member of the Oklahoma City Police Department for a 1 on 1 shopping spree (a man in uniform pushing my shopping cart around? YES PLEASE). It’s a great event called Shop with a Cop. It’s Catchy AND it rhymes. Cute. This year it took place on December 11^th and Epic Events was lucky enough to get to be a part of it. We doubled as paparazzi of the event and part of Santa’s workshop in the back wrapping everybody’s presents when they were done shopping.

I had the pleasure of wrapping Angelica’s presents (we were doing the “unicorn power” pose in that picture) for her parents and 3 siblings. She even remembered to get a little something for her dog. Every kid we talked to said they were shopping for gifts for their family members. If they had money left over, then they would buy themselves something. HOW SWEET IS THAT?!

This wonderful organization is always looking for volunteers! If you’ve been looking for a way to get involved in the community and give back, PAL will be starting their basketball season and they are in need of volunteer coaches for 6^th grade boys and girls basketball. The season runs from January 9^th – March 5^th, 2016. They practice at least once a week and they have a game every Saturday morning.

We’ve got some EPIC clients doing EPIC work to better our community this holiday season (and every other season too, duhh). With that being said, these next couple weeks I’m going to feature a couple of our clients who definitely deserve to be on Santa’s Nice List.

Youth Services for Oklahoma County (YSOC) was established in 1972 by a group of visionary leaders, YSOC continues to positively impact the lives of thousands of children and families in Oklahoma County each year. YSOC provides professional counseling and a variety of innovative behavioral and educational services to meet the specific needs of troubled young people. Their services are designed to foster self-esteem and resiliency, to preserve and enrich family life and to instill a sense of community in a child, family and the community-at-large.

This month, YSOC is having the  “12 Days of Giving”. This event will run from December 1^st – December 12th. They are asking for in-kind donations and/or monetary donations in order to have clothing, food, etc. for the Shelter, SKIL (Supporting Kids in Independent Living) Program , JROC (Juvenile Re-Entry of Oklahoma County) kids and to stock their pantry. So, If you’re feeling the Christmas Spirit this holiday season, or are trying to get off Santa’s Naughty List last minute, they have a few drop off locations:

If you aren’t able to give something tangible, fear not! Stay tuned to find out how you can help a non-profit by giving your time! Santa doesn’t care how you give, as long as you give something.

Guess who’s back?! That’s right, yours truly! Sorry I’ve been MIA for the past couple months. Epic Events is in the midst of an EPIC event season, and all this event planning has got me slacking on my blogging…and sleep. So here’s the post you’ve all been waiting for! That is…if you read my last blog post. If you didn’t, shame on you.

So you’ve decided that you need an event planner, but how do you choose “the one”?

Just like when you’re searching for “Mr. /Ms. Right”, you need to meet your event planner face-to-face so you can find that “spark”. After you meet them, or better yet, while you’re meeting them, ask yourself these questions:

Do they seem organized? This may seem like a stupid question because it’s like “all event planners are organized, it’s their job…” In a perfect world, yes. Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world; otherwise, I’d have Beyoncé’s body and would be married to John Stamos. Yup, John Stamos. There are event planners out there that just can’t seem to get their lives together. Some ways you can tell is if they are late to meetings, keep asking you the same question after you’ve already answered it 20 times, or take their sweet time responding to your emails, phone calls or texts. Always annoying with anyone, especially when you’re paying them…but we’ll talk more about that in a sec…

Are they well connected? Do they have good relationships with vendors and caterers in your city? The answer to this question could be the difference of a couple hundred dollars of expenses for you! If they aren’t well connected, it could also be a red flag that they are hard to work with…or maybe they have had their heart broken before and are afraid of commitment, or maybe “it’s not you, baby, it’s me”…Oops, got a little off track there.

Are they flexible? HA! See what I did there? 😉 But seriously, how available is this person to you? If you call and leave a voicemail, do they get back to you an hour later, or a week later? Do they work around your schedule, or do you have to change things to accommodate them? They should make you feel like you’re the only client that they have, even though you’re probably not (DISCLAIMER: if this is the case with that love interest, kick them to the curb ASAP).

Last but certainly not least, will this event planner give you a good Return on YOUR Investment? Are they worth what their fee is? If you feel like they aren’t doing very much work for the price they are charging, then move on! Just like when searching for that significant other, will they take out the trash and rub your feet after a long day at work? If not, then move on honey!

Bet you never realized how much event planning is like being in a relationship, huh? When it comes to your event, consider this the most important relationship you’ll have because, just like that little cutie you’ve been eyeing, if they don’t complement and enhance your life, they’re only going to cause stress and who the heck needs MORE stress when planning a party or falling in love?!? Until next time friends!

You’ve spent months planning an event and making sure everything turns out EXACTLY how it was envisioned. Don’t mess it up at the very last minute! Here’s a list of 4 things you won’t even think about bringing on the day of an event that are kind of important.

1. Emergency Supply Kit. This includes a first-aid kit, because event planning can be dangerous! A lousy paper cut cannot hinder a busy day setting up for an event! The Emergency Supply Kit should also include pens, sharpies (you’d be surprised at how often you need one of these), rubber bands, paper clips and last but certainly not least, business cards because everybody is a potential client- or you may want to give that hottie setting up the AV your number, but don’t want it to be too obvious 😉

2. Phone Charger. You would think that this is an obvious one, but in the midst of packing your car up with everything else you need for the day of an event, your phone charger is seriously the LAST thing you’ll think about!

3. Snacks and a water bottle- or your drink of choice (we aren’t judging). On the day of an event, you don’t know when you’ll get to eat a meal, or if you’ll even get to eat one at all. I don’t know about you, but I get GRUMPY when I get hungry, and ain’t nobody got time for that!

4. Clothes for the Event. This is another one that you’d think would be obvious, but it’s so easily overlooked because you’re worried about everything else. On the day of an event I’m usually wearing comfortable clothes and shoes that I can move heavy tables and such in and then get ready in the bathroom before the event starts. Remember to bring not only clothes and shoes, but also makeup, hair styling products, and probably the most important thing-deodorant. Forgetting deodorant can be deadly. Literally.

Obviously, there’s so much more that you’ll need to bring on the day of an event that are more specific to your event, but those are just a few things the Epic Events team thinks are Must Haves for every event! Until next time, keep it classy and stay prepared dear friends.

Epic Events is in the midst of a heavy event-planning season. We’ve got a bunch of super fun and EPIC events coming up in the fall that we’re getting ready for. With that being said, I’ve come up with some things that if over-looked in the planning process, could be disastrous the day of an event.

Coat check-If your event is during the fall/Winter, you need a coat check. People that are rollin’ up to your winter event in their lavish fur coats don’t want to have to sling it on the back of their chair or hold it the entire time. Make sure you have a place for people to put their coats without fear of it being taken, and make it easy for them to pick up on their way out.

 North West rocking the mess out of that fur jacket.

Trash Cans- these are super easy to completely forget about. You’ve spent so much time picking out the perfect hors de ‘oeuvres and cutest little plates and napkins to put them on, but what do your guests do with their trash? Or maybe your venue already had trashcans but they are super small and are filling up quickly? Who is responsible for taking the trash out and putting a new bag in? Make sure you know the answers to these questions before people start throwing their trash on the ground!

Electrical Outlets– When you’re on a site visit, you should check to see first, if they have electrical outlets, and if they do, how many and where are they? You’ll need AT LEAST one outlet for each DJ, band, restaurant, and other entertainment you might have at your event. If you only have a couple of outlets, you run the risk of blowing a fuse. Both literally and metaphorically! Save yourself the stress and figure out the electrical situation before the day of the event.

Proper Bathroom facilities– this can seriously make or break your event! You could have the most Epic event in the area, but if you’ve only got 1 bathroom for both the men and women, and it’s a gross port-a-potty, that’s all they’ll remember. I know, you’re probably thinking “Krystal, that’s ridiculous. People don’t care THAT much about bathrooms.” Au contraire mon ami! People take their potties seriously! Make sure you have plenty of CLEAN bathrooms for your guests to use.

There’s nothing wrong with spending a little on bathrooms! These bathroom trailers are so nice!

I hope this blog post saves you from a possible disaster the day of your event, and if it does, you’re welcome.

Until next time friends!

So you’ve read and followed the quick tips that I gave for planning an Epic Event (that was a smart move on your part). So now what? Your event is all figured out on paper, but how do you make it actually happen? Here are 3 steps to start you off in the right direction of turning your perfect-on-paper event into a reality!

Form a Committee to Help

Large, small, it doesn’t really matter. There are pros and cons to both. Just find people who can bring something to the table. People who have connections and aren’t afraid to ask for favors or even people who are just super creative. There’s so many different ways to help out. Just remember that there will probably be 20% of the committee doing 80% of the work, but that’s okay! The 80% of the committee not doing as much work will still be useful. Like they can bring the wine to the meetings.

This is part of our fabulous Fandango Committee at Fandango 2014!

 Find a Venue

After you and your committee decide what kind of space you are going to need and what date you want, find a venue ASAP. Especially if you plan on having it during the spring, fall or around a major holiday because those are heavy event seasons and you’ll be competing for a date against graduations, bridezillas and everyone else for that matter. You can’t really move on with your event planning until you’ve secured a venue.

 Figure out Sponsorship Levels and Approach Potential Sponsors

This is where your committee of go-getters will come in super handy (especially if it’s large). Start asking businesses to sponsor and donate to your event. Hopefully your committee members will have all sorts of connections and will secure some really awesome sponsors. Before you do that though, you have to decide what your sponsors will get in return for their donation or sponsorship. Things like what kind of publicity will be given based on different levels of support, and how many complimentary tickets each level will receive.

 Obviously, there’s so much more that needs to be done before making your dream event a reality, but I think those are three action steps that need to be done before you can plan anything else. Hopefully you find these helpful in planning your EPIC Event!

 Until next time friends!

Hello friends! Epic Events Inte… I mean Epic Events COORDINATOR here. That’s right, I’ve moved on up in the world and am no longer the intern. I graduated college last Friday and started Monday as a full-time Epic Eventer!

This was right after I got my diploma!

Being that this week marked “the end of a chapter and the beginning of another” as the ole cliché goes, I’ve decided to share some of the wisdom I’ve gained while being the intern here at Epic Events.

1. Before you answer/make a business call, make sure you know who, what, when, where, and why. Otherwise you sound like a dummy on the phone scrambling through your notes trying to find the date and time that you swore you had written down somewhere.

2. Always have pen and paper to take notes at every meeting, and make an Action Item list to have done before the next meeting. You think you’ll remember everything that was discussed, but you won’t…trust me.

3. Make sure you bring (or better yet, wear) a comfy pair of shoes to every event. Rarely do I sit down during an event, so the first thing I want to do when it’s over is take off my heels and put some flats on. It makes the tearing down process 1000x better!

4. Always double check an email/Facebook post/ Tweet before you publish it. I would suggest maybe even triple checking to save yourself from embarrassment.

5. This one is super important. Save EVERY email conversation that you have with a client or vendor because there’s a good chance that you’ll need to reference it again. Seriously. That email about which committee member brought straws at last year’s event could end up saving you tons of time and money.

This is only a teeny tiny microscopic list of everything that I’ve learned from being an intern at Epic Events. I’m so excited to be working for such a great company and doing what I love!

XOXO

Krystal Rodriguez
Epic Events Coordinator