Janet and Alisa Report from The Special Event 2018
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| Left to right: Paul Tramonte, Alisa Walsh, our official New Orleans greeters, Janet Elkins and Douglas Johnson. |
Here a quick recap for those who could not attend in person.
Sales Strategies
Thank You to all Expert Panelists, from left to right:
Kathy Miller, Total Event Resources, Chicago, IL
Dianne Budlon Devitt, Dianne Devitt, New York City, NY
Alisa Walsh, EventWorks, Los Angeles, CA
Sally Webb-Berry, The Special Event Company, Raleigh, NC
Janet Elkins, EventWorks, Los Angeles, CA
Janet Elkins: "We have presented this seminar in the past, actually for several years. However, we redesign and update Sales Strategies each and every time to remain relevant and fresh. And lots has happened in the last 12 months.
In 2018 our seminar was structured to be a lot more interactive. We are happy to report that the room was nearly at full capacity. We recognized repeat guests and we were happy and honored to welcome new ones, of all ages.
One common issue we all share and discussed a lot: how do you control the cost of proposals? We all go to great lengths to create them to secure new business but we cannot invoice all this work and expense. A lot of discussion went into what it takes to create a great, effective proposal. We all agreed that initial research into the prospective client and the possible event does pay off. And sometimes it is better to politely turn a RFP down. Saying No at the beginning to an assignment that will not be a good fit will save money, time and your staff's mental health. It could also save a possible relationship with the client for a later time.
I want to especially thank Maggie Orchard of Total Event for taking on the laborious task of creating the extensive PowerPoint this year!"
Crushing It
Thank you to
and Expert Millennial Panelists
Alisa Walsh, EventWorks, Los Angeles, CA
Francesca Lombardo, Lombardo's, Boston, MA
Bobby Dutton, Groove Boston, Boston, MA
Alisa Walsh: "We presented our seminar for the very first time and were very happy to have such a multi-generational audience, The fact that we started our session with entrance music and that we handed out daiquiris to get the party going - after all it's New Orleans - may have been one of the factors of the overall success. We hoped to get millennials motivated to engage in more leadership roles in our industry and to increase synergy among all ages. I am happy to report that everyone in the room had ideas and shared generously. I think that our discussion about the generational differences with regards to work habits and changes in business communication styles was very useful. Cold phone calls are a turn-off these days. I don't like to take unsolicited calls because I am usually fully focused on a task or I am driving. LinkedIn in-messages are a much better way to go. You can research good prospects, get a referral from someone you know already and start the conversation online. And then agree to a date and time when it's convenient for all to talk or better yet, video chat."
It was not all just work, work, work. Janet had a blast playing with Gary Bordman's VR toys from Amusement, Exhibit and Event Services, Las Vegas, NV.
Janet and Alisa both had a great time at The Special Event.
Janet: "By continuing our attendance we increase our engagement in our industry and maintain relationships with our colleagues. I always learn something new."
Alisa: "I loved the educational aspects of all the seminars and I appreciate the opportunity to network with colleagues from across the country to learn what they are doing and what is successful."
Janet: "The energy at TSE is always wonderful. Everyone is very open and the conversations are so worthwhile."
See you next year in San Diego!
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