It’s this time of the year again. As planners are preparing for holiday parties and next year’s award seasons, they are always looking for something new. However, it is difficult to innovate on ideas as the clients will always want what they want. It’s time to perfect the execution.

1. Get the 3 holiday event secret weapons

2. WOW new clients
It’s difficult to get clients, but more so to keep them happy and wanting to come back. It is extremely important to wow them at the beginning. One thing I could recommend is to come up with interesting concept and proposals even thought at the best only one would be chosen by the client. There are a few new suppliers and service providers out there such as us that takes pride in helping planners to WOW their clients, such as 3d illuminated decor, iPhone rental, creative musical setup. The clients will only select at best one proposal from you, but taking pride in the proposals will WOW them non-the-less.

3. Join and lead the new design trend
There is a few new design trends in the market this year besides illuminated 3D decors, such as 3D animation projection, led furniture, touch surface displays and more. Most of times, the cost of production is high since the technology is new. In that case, it is helpful to expand the search and be on the lookout for new suppliers and service providers. For example, A few Japanese companies are taking the lead on floating objects; European companies are innovating on renewable furniture such as the BioSphere; and Korean companies continue to provide the best price, product offering ratio on custom designed presentation booths and etc. In the end, don’t let cost stopping you from innovating. Taking the time and energy to do seasonal innovation searches along with going to national trade shows will help you innovate and be ahead of the competition.

4. Save more on event budget
Saving money is always good, since every penny saved goes to the bottom line.
- Don’t be afraid to bargain. As a lighting supplier, I always enjoy a good bargain from a client. It shows that they’ve done the research and would really make use of the product.
- Ask for co-sponsoring opportunities. Many suppliers will consider doing something for free if it makes sense. However, don’t forget to do homework on them and meet in person before the event to hold them responsible for the plan. An established event business has much more to lose than an upcoming lighting supplier or service provider.
- Look beyond the border, especially LED suppliers. International shipping speed and commercial transparencies have been greatly improved to justify working with someone over the sea.
- Be careful about timeline while you save money. A good practice is to ask for a delivery date 5 to 10 business days ahead of the actual event setup time.