All About The Details

Source: Jordan Johnson

This week I read “Inside NPR’s ‘Mobile-First’ Strategy”  published by PBS. The article encourages business professionals to think of their company’s website in mobile terms. The article stated, “Brian Boyer, the news apps editor at National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington, D.C., knows more consumers are accessing news on their mobile devices than ever, and that news organizations are seeing traffic to their websites from desktop computers flatten.”

Another point that stood out to me was that if a design doesn’t work for a mobile template than it doesn’t work. When considering site design aspects it is vital to consider how those functions will perform on a mobile device. Designers should try to think of aspects that will enhance the mobile experience. Mobile sites need to be easy to navigate, need to work properly, and need functionality that matches a mobile device design. 

Being part of the Millennial generation, I fully grasp the concept that people are using their mobile devices as their primary method of internet browsing. If I reach a site that isn’t mobile responsive, I find it frustrating and tend to not stay on the site for very long. If the layout of your site isn’t easily navigated on a mobile device than you are guaranteed to lose out on potential business and site visitors.

The term ‘mobile’ used to reflect being on-the-go. Currently, the term ‘mobile’ references being able to use your device anytime and anywhere. Just because users are using a smaller device doesn’t mean it should be less of an experience. The use of mobile devices is guaranteed to continue to increase as mobile devices and functionality continue to improve. If web designers don’t think in terms of mobile use, their site won’t stand up to their competitors. There is no doubt that this will continue to be a popular trend in the future. 

Going off last week’s event venue blog, I thought I would expand to covering event themes. You may ask, ” Why do I need a theme?” Well, for starters picking a theme can help make planning the event more efficient. It also provides more interest and coherence for you attendees. People won’t remember everything about your event, but they will remember fun special-themed party!

You want to make sure that a theme is appropriate for the type of event you are trying to throw. When a theme is done properly is can elevate any type of event.

Sometimes it is difficult to choose the right theme to fit your event. You should start by defining the goals of your event. What do you want to accomplish with this event? Then you can narrow down the possible events that may work.

Here is an addition of some event theme ideas I got from BanquetEvents.com

Photo Credit: BanquetEvents.com

• Casino Night
• Winter Wonderland
•  Murder and Mystery
• M*A*S*H
• Tropical Island
• South of the Border
• Cruise Ship
• Underwater
• African Jungle
• Mexican Fiesta
• Tropical Rain Forest
• Mardi Gras
• Western/ Wild West
• Circus! Circus!
• Medieval Castle
• International Themes
• Hawaiian Luau
• Nautical
• Fabulous 50s
• The Great Northwest
• Great Gatsby Party
• The Jazz Club
• State Fair
• Super Bowl
• Around the World
• Chinese New Year
• Beach Party
• Treasure/Scavenger Hunt
• Toy Chest
• Haunted Halloween

Once you have selected your theme that is when the fun really starts! From there, you get to pick the different props and decorations to amplify your event. You can incorporate your theme into every different aspect of the event. From the food, activities and attire.  Don’t set limits on your event. Try to think of different ways you can incorporate your theme into your event. The possibilities are endless!

After reading “Perfecting a Platform: A PR Pro’s 5 New Year’s Resolution for Twitter” it made me reflect on my current social media use and which one I needed to put some energy towards.  With being a full-time student and working full-time I know that I don’t keep up with social media like I should for the profession I am seeking. There is so many things that I could learn about social media. 

There were a few main things I took away from the article:

• Make sure your postings are of quality
• Align your posts with your intended personal brand
• Make posts consistent with a scheduler
• The best day to tweet is Saturday or Sunday, when the engagement rate increases by 17 percent
• Tweets with hashtags experience twice the amount of engagements
• Using more than two hashtags results in a 17 percent decrease in engagement
• Establish a regular schedule for tweeting and keep up with it

The article said you should encompass several diverse platforms but to start with one platform, create five goals for that platform and then expand that to your other platforms. So, I decided that since I have no presence on Twitter and it is one of the most popular platforms I would start there. 

I decided to start with three main goals and go from there:

1. Revamp my Twitter profile
2. Post 3-5 times a week
3. Have posts that include: One retweet, one personal tip or professional lesson learned and share one industry related article

I am planning on starting this over the next week. I will keep you updated on my progress. I challenge all of you to take this challenge and make over one of your social media profiles. Wish me luck!

An event’s success can depend on choosing the right location for the type of event you are having. One of the most important first steps to planning an event is nailing down where it is going to take place. That is why I wanted to cover event themes and different types of events in this week’s blog.

Knowing and understanding the positive and negatives for the type of venue are an important part to choosing the one that will serve the expectations of the event and the client. Of course, there are so many types of events that it would be hard to cover them all in one post! Therefore, I will just focus on the process of choosing the right location for your event.

A few types of events include:

• Fund Raisers/Auctions 
• Grand Openings
• Festivals
• Weddings
• Tradeshows/Conventions
• Holiday Parties
• Sporting events
• Important life moments: Birthdays, Anniversaries, Baby showers, etc.

Events are all about planning everything down to the smallest detail and having two backups for that plan! I guarantee you if you spend some extra time planning your event’s location you will see the benefits of a well-planned event.

This past year, I interned with Cascadia Wildlands for their 11th Annual Wonderland Auction. Below are a few things I have learned along the way that really help when trying to plan an event: 

Source: Cascadia Wildlands

1. Meet with your client and get a true understanding of what their goals are, what they are expecting from you and their expectations for the event.
2. ASK QUESTIONS! I used to think I would look incompetent if I asked clients too many questions, but that isn’t the case. The more questions you ask the better idea you will have of what they want so that you are both on the same page.
3. Think about the DETAILS!!!

When thinking about what the right location is for your types of event keep in mind all the details. Depending on the different aspects you are planning to have at your event you need to keep those details in mind when choosing a location.

A few things to ask yourself:

1. What do you want the vibe and atmosphere to be like for the event?
2. Will the number of people you are planning to attend fit in the venue?
3. Is there enough room for the food, entertainment, etc.?
4. Is there enough lighting, electrical outlets and power supply?
5. If you are having an outside event, don’t forget to think about restroom access.

This post barely scratches the surface of all the aspects that should be considered when choosing a venue. You will of course have to tailor these tips to the type of event you are having, but I hope this gives you a place to start and you can expand from there! 

My mission for this blog is to offer a valuable resource for people interested in the event-planning industry. Blog posts will cover a variety of topics including new industry trends, examples of successful events, lessons learned, strategies, and much more. Feel free to contact me with comments or questions at johnso21@uoregon.edu or find me on LinkedIn at http://linkd.in/1b5ENvi. I would love to talk further about the exciting things going on in the world of event planning!