Events are a great way to promote your brand and connect with potential customers. Whether you're attending a trade show, conference, or networking event, swag can be an effective way to leave a lasting impression. Swag, or promotional materials, can range from branded t-shirts and water bottles to pens and keychains. But how can you ensure that your swag stands out from the crowd and leaves a lasting impression? In this blog post,

Asking an event planner for a proposal can seem simple enough when someone has never hired a professional event planner or event coordinator.  However, in the last few months, I have had some odd requests for proposals (RFP). Event planning can be a complex and time-consuming process, requiring careful planning and execution. The RFP is a key tool used to help organizations find the right vendor or service provider for their event.

It has been a hot minute since I have had a chance to write a blog post. As I recapped my 2022 – it appears that last year was the busiest year yet for Jennifer James Events - and I know I’m not the only one. Live events are coming back – but what we observed in the last quarter for many businesses is that they hadn’t planned for holiday event season, and many were scrambling to find not only venues but reliable and  reputable event

Is Event Sponsorship Important? YES! Event sponsorship for some events can have a huge impact to the bottom line of an event or organizations fiscal success. I have been very fortunate to have worked on some very successful event sponsorship campaigns for tradeshows, conferences, associations and fundraisers. I even managed to create a sponsorship package for my local chapter of event professionals that was the

Fun fact. In 2020 (pre-pandemic) we built the Ultimate Event Planning Guide, which can be found for download on www.jenniferjamesevents.com The thought process behind building this guide was an outline for anyone considering planning a corporate social event or even social event on a large scale. The first place we recommend starting is with discovery questions that determine your event purpose, objectives, and goals.

Well, here we are two years into the pandemic. We have cancelled, postponed, and "pivoted". Virtual and hybrid events have come a long way but we have learned that people yearn to be together. For those of us that have been fortunate enough to continue working throughout the pandemic – it seems like planning, re-planning, and contingency planning is imperative. While people want to be together everyone has different feelings and

Not all event suppliers are created equal

In the business of events, planners and suppliers are as unique as your business or organization. I have found over the years that when asked by my clients to work with new suppliers on projects in or outside of our normal market, that often price can be the final deciding factor. Moreover, what I have learned time and time again is that you often get what you pay for, such that, the

I have been very fortunate to have been an event planner for the past 18 years. Even saying 18 years makes me wonder where all that time has gone! Before becoming an event planner, I had many other jobs and experiences that I now know helped get me ready for this business. Here are some examples. I went to broadcasting school, so I was great at researching and working in groups. I worked as a server, so I have an affinity for what it

Previously, I've written about the realities our corporate clients are facing when choosing to book events post-pandemic. We talked about planning during uncertainty, corporate responsibility and attendee psychology.