How to Transform a Blank Canvas

Even if a business has money, they’ve still got it rough when it comes to event planning. Sometimes, the space isn’t there. At other times, unconventional avenues make it hard to let loose, get the point across and attract new customers. When thinking outside the ballroom, it’s important to consider your audience. Transforming a blank canvas into a full-fledged event isn’t easy, but it’s possible. Here’s how:

Turn Small Shops into Networking Gatherings

If you’re stuck with a coffee shop, fear not. You can still use the free Wi-Fi, attract customers and dish out branded swag. Coffee shops are today’s pop-up shops, and they’re surprisingly good venues for small businesses lacking funds. You can still cross-promote your other options, staying true to a frugal budget while meeting the locals.

Use Park Space for Active Market Promotion

These days, most brands utilize the sporty, get-up-and-go lifestyle to promote. We live in a world where even videogames are getting more active. If you’re stuck with a field, make use of it. Parks might seem unconventional at first, but they’re incredibly capable event properties. Set up a gazebo, have a cookout and promote your product to passerby.

Turn a Tram Ride into a Town Tour

Sometimes, all the venues are booked. Have you considered your mobile options? Today’s town visitors—and even the residents—are using cross-city tram services, brewery carts and even carriages to see new sights. Give your customers a look through your business’s eyes, and give them something to remember. Travel is memorable, and you needn’t spend tons of money on a good trip.

Book it In an Airport

If you’ve got extra money, try out a pop-up experience in an airport. A surprising number of brands, like NGO Miseror, have created entire digital campaigns centered in airports. Aside from the obvious high-traffic benefit, airports are unique places which guarantee visibility. If you’re expressing yourself in an airport, you’ll definitely be seen.

Check Out the Local Lodge

Similar to the cross-town experience, a one-night stay in a lodge isn’t a bad idea. A lot of marketers, in fact, are bringing their customers closer by instilling a sense of sincerity. If you can get your customers talking to one another, you have an experience.

Not every event relies on flashy event spaces, huge banners and unique technology. Sometimes, simpler is better. It’s called experiential marketing for a reason. Even if the event is small, you can instill a sense of wonder by planning your event correctly. Check out your local area’s offerings, and get to work on your brand’s experiential canvas.

Event Decor: How to Create a Memorable Floor

Yes, your event’s flooring is important. Whether you’re installing high-tech pads, decorative carpets or subtle comfort areas, your marketing event’s bottommost layer will need to be spruced up. Event-goers may look up, but they’re bound to check out the floor when navigating traffic. If you want to harness today’s latest, greatest marketing techniques, you’ll need to reinvigorate your space from the ground up. Here’s how.

Use Bricks for Branding

Don’t worry: You won’t seem too old-fashioned. Even if you’re promoting technology, all-brick displays promote class, timelessness and security. Check out your local provider’s offerings, and find a space for sponsor information, logos and branding images. This is an exceptional option for outside events, too, as you needn’t worry about these branding images being washed away. Check out gardening bricks, too, as garden bricks are excellent opportunities for complex images.

Install a Glass Floor Over a Pool

There’s a reason today’s nightclubs and bars are turning to glass pool covers. When lighting is prioritized, the effect can be stunning. You needn’t make the pool accessible, either. Simply add lighting, install a design or two, and cap it off. Make the area a dance floor, and install your brand’s innovative demos off to the side—near the wet bar. If you really want to shine on event-goers, install a neon sign, flowers or displays beneath the glass.

Install a Plexiglass Cover

If you don’t have a pool, you can still get the glass-bound effect with plexiglass. Designers like Preston Bailey offer unique, all-glass dance floors. Capable of hosting an event “focal point,” these floors can harness high-tech lights, art and even flowers. Your guests will love it, and they’re hype up your future events, too.

Create Digital Demo Booth Floors

If you have the money, try installing high-tech picture floors. Fully digital, these floors can present images and movies. They even have slideshow capabilities. They’re constructed with dense materials, so you won’t need to worry about event-goers shattering any television screens. Flash your brand’s image, write notes and—if you’re feeling creative—create a touch-sensitive space for your event’s premium guests.

Paint 3D Art

Floor-bound 3D art is becoming incredibly popular. So much so, in fact, businesses are hiring 3D landscape artists to create immersive, intuitive and funny event floors. While 3D art only pulls off its effects from certain angles, it still offers incredible photo opportunities. If you rep the 3D art, you’ll present your company’s creative side. Why not let the guests have a little fun?

In most cases, the areas your event-goers traverse will be your event’s most memorable aspects. Don’t skimp on the flooring. Align it with your event’s walls, ceiling and décor. You’d be surprised how well a high-tech floor can tie things together.

Marketing Your Brand at Art Basel Miami: Fashion, Art and Glamour

A week long party for art collectors, admirers and vendors—Art Basel proves to be an exciting event each winter on Miami Beach. Full of celebrities, raging night clubs, fashion and pulsing with glamorous night life, Art Basel grows larger and more influential each year. High end galleries and selected exhibitors display myriads of work filling South Beach and spilling into Miami proper.

Where Fashion Mingles with Art

Art Basel is the event to be marketing your brand at, packing crowds of people into venues in Miami. Luxury brands, like Dior, Chanel, Valentino and Dom Perignon, writhe with excitement at events like these. Fine art, festivities and fashion brands is a popular mix, drawing a huge crowd of celebrities, socialites, collectors and models.

Marketing Your Brand

With brands like evian product pushing or Lacoste throwing events, it is easy to get missed in glamour and hype of the high roller crowd. Choosing a central venue in Miami early is the first step to marketing your brand at Art Basel Miami Beach. Of the event space Miami has to offer, SoHo Studios is a unique space in the center of the Miami art district.

- Located in the Wynwood District

- Popular for events, fashion shows, concerts, parties, galas, and gallery shows

- Largest venue in Miami with over 70,000 square feet of event space

Unlike other party venues Miami offers, our Soho Studios is a nontraditional space and a blank canvas, ready to be transformed to fit your brand. Our large space can be adapted to whatever size will best suit your event and our central location will help draw in the Art Basel crowds.

Making a Brand-Worthy Statement

Over-the-top parties and shows planned down to the most miniscule detail are the types of events that will get your brand noticed. After you choose a location that will make your brand look good, begin strategizing ways to promote your brand through activities and product display. At SoHo Studios, we can help you plan catering, décor, travel arrangements and other aspects of event logistics with our full staff and outside partnerships.

The official champagne of Art Basel Miami Beach

You may not know this yet, but this is the third year that Ruinart, world's preeminent champagne brand, is a proud sponsor of Art Basel Miami Beach. This particular prestigious Miami event and is an internationally revered art show for international art works from around the planet. For the 2013 event, the company came up with the "Miroir" ice bucket from French designer Herve Van der Straeten.

It is an angular container comprising what can be best described as a folding enclosure of flat mirrored sides, slightly inclined. You might say that the container offers a peculiarly angular and flat look. The structure perversely complements the golden-filled, clear, curvaceous glass bottles with gold and maroon labels and gold-tone foil. Just 50 copies of the design were produced by Christofle in its France-based Haute Orfevrerie workshop.

You might appreciate that marketing your brand at Art Basel Miami Beach is not just a champagne proposition. The German automaker BMW has been doing it for years, providing a stylish shuttle service fleet.

As for the Champagne Ruinart, the sparkly wine maker's involvement with art is hardly ad hoc. As you may already know, the Art Basel Miami Beach inception to actualization. The ice bucket project was carefully planned over a process that took nine months to perfect. Since Art Basel is an annual event, and the company seeks to collaborate with different artists each time. These collaborations typically run for two years prior to the event, from hese collaborations typically run for two years prior to the event, from inception to actualization. The ice bucket project was carefully planned over a process that took nine months to perfect.

Nicolas Ricroque, Ruinart's US brand director, says that Ruinart has been involved with the arts for almost 300 years. Ricroque states that Dom Ruinart was an art expert among other things, and that since his time, the family has been avidly and passionately collecting art.

Art Collector's Lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach is a venue in Miami and event space Miami. Among venues in Miami, it ranks with art patrons alongside The Miami Art Museum as the largest art show in the world. You are cordially invited, and if you cannot attend, consider toasting us with Ruinart.

Event Space for Weddings

For the future bride and groom finding an event space for the wedding can feel like an awesome task. Planning a wedding is a lot of work and the venue for the wedding is an essential feature in your very special day. Be mindful and envision the ambiance that you feel is representative of your union, in addition to accommodating your wedding guests.

Here are some wedding planning tips to help you through the process:

GUEST LIST

When finding an event space for your wedding, it is important to determine the approximate number of your visitors.  Be sure to establish the number of guests attending and create a list so you know what kind space to reserve  for your wedding.

BUDGET

All expenses for your wedding should be properly accounted for in order to determine how much is allocated in your budget to rent a wedding venue. Always determine what is in your budget prior to looking for a wedding venue, so you have a clear idea when you are doing your research on event space for weddings. It is also important to look around and see what kind of deals you can get. For example, some spaces can be significantyly less, if you agree to use their wedding catering services.

THEME

There are so many great ideas to choose from when you are selecting a theme for your wedding. Feeling a little retro? Try a swing themed wedding with dance instructors and a big band. Miami is a popular location for destination weddings. What about a wedding on the beach? Many event spaces can inspire a theme, so do not be afraid to visit various locations for that perfect event space for wedding.

RESEARCH

In the age of information many venues can be previewed online, so be sure to research event space on the internet. Many wedding venues have their own websites and you can surf around until you find something that engages  your interest. This will help save you time and unnecessary travel expenses. Once you narrow it down to a few different wedding venues you can schedule a visit in person. Phone numbers and contact persons are also available on the site to make it easier for anyone to inquire.

Finding a wedding venue is one of the most important elements of planning a wedding. With these tips the process is clearly outlined and will make the journey down the isle that much more enjoyable.

Renting Event Space

When you rent event space, be sure to take the time to explore all of your options. Selecting an event venue is one of the most important parts of planning an event. The venue itself has the ability to leave a lasting impression on the minds of your guest for a long time and if this is the case, so will your event.

For those of you looking to rent event space in Miami, be sure to check out Soho Studios in the Wynwood District. Soho Studios is a 65,000 square foot event space that can be used for both small and large scale events.

Here are a few other types of event space:

Banquet Halls

Banquet Halls have always been popular. These venues are just about great for hosting all forms of corporate as well as personal events. They also give you the liberty to exercise your own ideas when it comes to decoration and planning. Another benefit of renting event space from banquet halls is that they can be much affordable than the customary hotels and clubs to sport any event.

Resorts and Hotels

Miami is an international hot spot for hotels and there could be no better place for renting event space than a fabulous hotel or resort. Hotels and resorts places are turnkey solutions for anyone planning an event. For example if you choose a hotel or a resort for your event then you need not to worry about making a separate arrangement for catering. They are one and for all a hassle free and comprehensive solution to all your event planning.

Restaurants

Another type of event space you should consider is a restaurant. Most restaurants have good array of options varying from simple to extravagant event arrangements. One of the nice things about renting event space from a restaurant is that you need not to worry about anything other than having to arrange for the right menu order on the list and you can leave many of the event details in their hands.

Country Clubs

The best option so far that not only awards you with ample privacy, also includes many of the elements of hotels and resorts blended into one fine renting event space. The best part about these clubs is that they are available throughout the year. Though most of them can only be availed by members, this shouldn't be much of a problem if you have the right contacts.

Event planning requires good solid research. Renting event space is less difficult if you know exactly what type of event space is available and in your budget.

What are some of the best event promotion techniques?

Event promotion is one of the elements that can make any business’s marketing strategies a huge success. This is so much so that, if one doesn't plan out the whole campaign it can become very difficult to collect benefits from organizing the whole event. With online marketing gone to a whole new level, social media has become the center of the world. Hence, using this tool one can make any corporate happening a huge success on its own.

Ultra Music Festival promotes the event via social media and email blasts with announcements about the line-up and ticketing tiers. This keeps the audience engaged throughout the year and draws them to their website to explore content surrounding  the music festival.

With the online world now being the center stage for all marketing tactics, it should be known that the customary methods of marketing have not gone obsolete. The traditional marketing tools are in fact still intact and it is the combination of offline and online methods that is now making event promotion a huge success in the current times.

With the online world now being the center stage for all marketing tactics, it should be known that the customary methods of marketing have not gone obsolete. The traditional marketing tools are in fact still intact and it is the combination of offline and online methods that is now making event promotion a huge success in the current times.

So, what exactly are the popular marketing trends that companies are now adopting to make their events a fruitful?

Organizations are making investment in out of the way methods. Currently, the efforts are all geared towards assuring that the time and money that goes in investments are able to give a turnover in the optimum ways. Therefore it means that the target is now more towards quality and not quantity. This should be the basis of your judgement when you are sending invites for any event promotion.

People who are attending your event need some practical and real information to believe. All the experiential details should be managed. This means that once again you should deliver quality and substance and not the revenue collected from a couple of days. Therefore, go for involving and engaging displays and sessions should exhibit communication and of course, valuable discourse in your event promotion.

At present, the exhibition of audio and visual content has become the norm. This on the other hand doesn't mean that you go for glamour. The idea here is to be dynamic with hints of sophistication for you definitely don’t need to make your event promotion a mainstream occurrence. So, engage your audience in live session so that your attendees are not left out of the event. After all it is your attendees that make or break any event.

Dynamic branding is without any doubt the new trend these days. This should be kept in mind that branding is the key element in making any event promotion a huge success. Thus, the message that you choose is of integral importance and should nail the whole crux of your brand. In the event itself the message should be concise, comprehensive and of course influential on the target audience.

On the last note, there is no single recipe that automatically makes event promotion a success, as there are many ways to turn any particular strategy by customizing it according to your brand and message. You should always consider a number of options at first, select the best out of each and find the one that works best for you.

Entertainment for events - DJ Shadow, LCD Soundsystem, The XX

Smart event planners know how important the role of entertainment is to a successful event. Whether the event is the wedding of the year or a 50,000 person music festival, entertainment can be the glue that holds all of the other event elements together. The choice of the entertainment for events is influenced by various factors, the biggest one being the role that the entertainment for a particular event will play. For example if you are producing an event, such as a large scale live concert, it is important to select entertainment that you know will help to sell tickets and pack the house.

The past weekend at the III Points event in Miami, DJ Shadow performed an amazing show at a large scale venue in Miami. Other notable performances by LCD Sound System front man James Murphy and Jamie XX from The XX were also included in the 3 day long music and arts festival. Although this was the first year for the music festival, these events were highly attended due to the entertainment selection.

Entertainment can be used for creating the hype prior to the event. In this case entertainment is used to publicize the event and draw many people to the event, For example an event planner can invite a celebrity guest host, like a musician or a comedian to be part of an event and offer entertainment to guests. Many people are likely to be drawn to the event if their favorite celebrity is going to be there.

Another very important function of entertainment in an event is that it breaks the monotony and reduces boredom in an event. A concentration of serious talks and business of the event can cause boredom to the invited guests. This calls for entertainment to be integrated in the business of the day. For example a poem by an artist can be integrated between different speeches. Performance of musicians could be integrated between different sections as this kind of entertainment may require a little bit of reorganization of the stage. For this role of entertainment to be achieved it is important that the planning team for an event allocate time wisely. In addition the choice of the entertainment at a given time should be very considerate.

Entertainment for events also plays the role of communicating the theme of the event. This occurs majorly in events such as launch parties, promotions and community related events. In this case, a poem can have the theme of an event and lead the participants towards a given direction. If entertainment is playing this role then the cost and time allocated to it can be increased as more benefits will be reaped. It is very essential for a company to pre determine the cost of entertainment so that the cost used in entertainment for an event does not outweigh the benefits reaped.  The planning team should also source for entertainment that is quality but also considerably cheap.

Event Trends and Event Decor

Are you fond of spending time planning events and decorating them? Maybe you are just fond of attending wonderfully-designed celebrations. Either way, you might be particular when it comes to the event decors that you are seeing. You might have some suggestions in mind or maybe you already said something to the event coordinator or planner. In order to give you further ideas with regards to having the grandest event decor, there are some tips for today’s top trends.

One of the biggest event trends in 2013 was providing users with an interactive experience via social media. One example of this is including a Twitter Wall where attendees can Tweet comments at the event and their tweet would be projected onto a large screen for all to see.

As an event coordinator or event planner, how can you say that you are going to be having a success in bringing out the best trends in event decor? It’s simple. All you have to do is ask your client. Their say about the event decorations is very important because it is them that you have to please, including their guests, of course. Thus, you can also give them ideas on how to put up those decors appropriately.

Nowadays, the cocoon style is very famous. What is cocooning? According to an event producer, Timot McGonagle, it is the process of wrapping a certain space in layers, focusing on the moods and creating a multi-sensory environment. For instance, you can divide a certain corner into two to four different environments depending on your style. Then, guests on that part will be able to feel the essence of being in different areas by just staying in one place. Cool, right?

Another option in event decor is the double-duty décor. How does this style works? Well, all you have to do is put a single décor in two different places. For instance, if you have an arrangement near the door, you can put it near the dining if it suits your style. At least, with this trend, you can add a little spice to either element in order to make it less boring. Most of all, this gives a big portion of cut-down on your costs. See? It’s hitting both worlds – quality and quantity.

Try selecting a theme for your event and base the decor around it.  A Las Vegas themed event would have casino-like decorations,   poker-like tables and chairs and don’t forget the most important thing – colorful Vegas-esque lights everywhere! You can also try rock star-themed events. Now, if you want it plain, black and white is the most recommended. It’s plain yet it’s bold and classy at the same time.

These are only some suggested styles for event decor.  Now, if you want to modify it, you are always free to do so. You can add a little warmth by adding some lamps decors or pillows. Just make sure that you don’t overdo it and don’t use dark colors if you want to brighten up the place.

Experiment! Don’t be afraid to do so because through experimentation, you can be able to discover the most suitable event decor that you may love. Wait, don’t forget to take pictures, too.

Event space for weddings

Weddings are nonetheless known as the big day in all cultures and societies. When there are so many preparations to make, picking the right event space for wedding is the key element that can make your big day the most memorable one in your life. This is because it is the venue that will determine all the forthcoming features that you had always wanted to be in your dream wedding day. Moreover, all the choices should be looked out about and discussed in detail before going forth with depositing.

Miami Heat Basketball Star Lebron James selected a resort in San Diego as the perfect space for wedding long time girlfriend Savannah Brinson.

So, what are the details that you need to cater to while selecting the best event space for wedding?

Size of the Wedding

While you are looking at different venues, first be very sure about the size of your guest lists. Though a church is usually the best size to accommodate guests for service, dinner has to be dealt with differently. The idea here is to choose a venue that is big enough to accommodate a good number of people leaving room for potential guests who may decide to turn up unexpectedly at the end of the day.

Weather

If you had always wanted to be married in a space outdoors, beneath the sky or under the perfect nightfall ensure that you have done all the unexpected weather change preparations. This may vary from season to season. So, if it’s a rainy season then your event space for wedding should have back up arrangement so that your big day doesn't get ruined all because of a small shower to commemorate your day.

Budget

Designing your own budget before planning on a wedding keeps you safe to many levels. It is always better to come up with a definite size for event space for wedding venue, so that you can then plan ahead as to how much you can manage with the remaining expenses. In seasons of wedding, booking a good place can become daunting. Therefore, it is always better to book in advance so that there is plenty of room for you to go with other arrangements.

Reception choices

There is no dearth to venues of wedding that also give reception amenities on the site. A good number of people who look for event space for wedding are on the lookout for this two in one option. This also goes for those who would like to give the reception immediately once the ceremony has taken place and wish to accommodate their guests both ways.

In a nutshell, picking an event space is one of the most special aspects of any wedding planning. The task can be quite overwhelming since the to-do list in wedding plans is a never ending one.  Also, once this part of the arrangement has been done you can relax and look forward to the fun part of celebrations such as decorations, dancing, food and what not. So, locating a place that is under your budget and is comfortable can truly make your wedding a time to remember for life.