This bestselling all-in-one guide to the event planning business is back and better than ever, fully updated and revised to reflect the very latest trends and best practices in the industry. This handy, comprehensive guide includes forms, checklists, and tips for managing events, as well as examples and case studies of both successful and unsuccessful events. Judy Allen (Toronto, ON, Canada) is founder and President of Judy Allen Productions, a full-service event planning production company.

Summary: Into the Heart of Meetings defines meetings as a form of communication. It describes the characteristic processes of meetings and how to influence them through Meeting Design. Based on many years of working together as professional Meeting Designers, the authors provide an array of tools that enable meeting organisers to obtain the best outcomes from their meetings as measured by their business value. Into the Heart of Meetings is also the first book ever about Meeting Design. Through their company MindMeeting, over the past 10-20 years the authors have given shape to this new profession. They introduce the principles underlying Meeting Design, as well as the main practical issues that Meeting Designers face and need to solve. The authors use countless examples, connecting their writing to daily working practice. Thus Into the Heart of Meetings is an explorative study, a textbook and a practical guide in one. Further details: Meetings – conferences, conventions, seminars, workshops, etc. – are an integral part of daily life in organisations. In this book, the authors argue that the potential of such meetings is severely under-utilised for a number of reasons. One of these is that the organisation of meetings is conceived mainly as a logistical operation. Into the Heart of Meetings shows that this approach misses the point with regard to the communicative value and power of meetings. The power of meetings depends on the human dynamics they are capable of unleashing. To accomplish that effectively requires a new paradigm for the way in which meeting programmes are conceived and executed. Meeting Design provides that new paradigm and the authors discuss all the basic knowledge a Meeting Designer needs to possess. Hence the book’s subtitle Basic Principles of Meeting Design. The book combines a theoretical framework with a great many examples and practical tools. As a result, it is not only useful for professionals in the Meetings Industry, but also for managers and consultants who use meetings as a means to achieve their goals. Areas where the book’s subject matter is particularly pertinent include strategic and change management, Human Resources management, knowledge management, innovation and business communications. The relatively informal style and the numerous cases make Into the Heart of Meetings an easy read. The iconic illustrations underline the authors’ messages admirably. At the end of each chapter the preceding content is approached from a different angle in a – fictitious – conversation between the authors and a “sceptic”, thus underlining the practical implications of the topic treated in the previous pages. In the absence of any formal educational curricula on Meeting Design, Into the Heart of Meetings yet provides ample material for university and professional training courses in such fields as communications, event management and organisation, conference and meeting management and organisation and facilitation. Also trainers in adult education and organisational change agents will find many useful insights. The lecturers for the minor event management (part of a degree in Communications at NHL in the Netherlands) have already adopted the book as compulsory reading material for their students, while two more educational institutions have also expressed an interest in doing so even before the book has been published.

Anyone responsible for organizing a voluntary or public event will want to do it safely and well, complying with the legislation relating to different aspects of their event. This book will help you to research, plan, organize, manage and deliver any event, match, show, tournament or function that will be attended by more than a handful of people. You may be running a gymkhana, fete, fun run, steam fayre, half marathon, carnival, school sports day, jumble sale, tennis tournament, car boot sale, model aircraft show or even a huge pop festival or Formula 1 car race. Whatever it is, the principles are the same. As event manager you will need to research, plan, liaise with authorities, obtain permissions and licences, comply with legal requirements and then deliver the event to the public.Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. The event manager; 3. The event objective; 4. Planning the event; 5. Health & safety; 6. Type of event; 7. When to run the event; 8. Defining your target audience; 9. Audience size; 10. Advertising; 11. Event attractions; 12. Event requirements; 13. Accommodation and services; 14. Event site; 15. Traffic management; 16. Sign posting; 17. Permissions; 18. Car parking; 19. Radio communications; 20. Staffing; 21. First aid; 22. Security; 23. Insurance; 24. Emergency and normal procedures; 25. Formal presentation; 26. Event manager's manual; 27. Money; 28. Accounts; 29. Video diary/evidence; 30. Setting up; 31. Site maintenance; 32. Strip down/clear up; 33. Final debrief &; 34. Final report; 35. Conclusion; Annex A; Annex B; Index.

"This is a book that should be OPEN on every meeting planner's or event marketer's desk, and used every day."--Paul Salinger, VP of Marketing, Oracle In his bestselling book Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love Adrian Segar taught readers how to design and execute remarkable conferences. But this book focuses on improving meetings at a finer level--the individual meeting sessions. Today, the most common reason that people give for attending face-to-face meetings is making valuable connections. Yet, time and time again, "networking" is relegated to meals and socials outside the sessions, and events are filled with lectures followed by a few minutes of audience questions. The Power of Participation provides conference presenters, organizers, and marketers with a comprehensive toolkit of simple techniques for creating participative sessions that involve the audience in their learning. Adrian Segar shows how you can turn passive attendees into active participants, which boosts learning, adds opportunities to meet and learn with peers during sessions, builds community and engagement, and improves desired action outcomes at your events. Smart presenters and meeting organizers are integrating experiential learning and peer connection into their events. This book tells you how to do it. Buy The Power of Participation to learn why it's so important to incorporate participant action into every aspect of your event, what you need to know to create a meeting environment that supports and encourages participation, and when and how to use this extensive compendium of specific, detailed techniques to radically improve your sessions and meetings.

For anyone planning events―student, novice, or experienced professional―Confessions of an Event Planner is an “apprenticeship in a book.” This insider’s guide takes you on a narrative journey, following a fictional event planning company that stages various types of events around the world for many different clients. \nWhile other books, college courses, and training programs give you the theory and how-to of the profession, Confessions of an Event Planner reveals the real world of event planning and what can happen―usually the unexpected―on an event program when actual participants are added to the event planning design and execution mix. In a climate of media scrutiny and corporate scandals, event planners must be masters of discretion, knowing how to avoid and deal with everything from sexual romps to financial shenanigans, to chainsaw wielding salesmen dead set on “re-landscaping” the grounds of the resort they’re staying at. From an event planner who’s seen it all and knows how to deal with it all, comes practical first-hand advice delivered in an entertaining and accessible format. Each chapter is set in a unique location, with a cast of characters, and a host of challenges and problems to overcome―from the boardroom to the resort guest bedrooms. Readers learn what they can come up against, how to problem solve creatively on the fly, get ideas for staging spectacular events, and see the principles of event planning in action. The scenario in each chapter is introduced by an outline of what will be covered in the chapter, and each chapter concludes with a series of review questions to explore key issues and stimulate reflection or discussion for individuals or groups. Ideal as a companion to Judy Allen’s six other event planning books, as a textbook in event planning courses, or as a professional training tool Confessions of an Event Planner prepares planners for what they can expect once they start working in the world of corporate and social event planning, and will help decision-makers set company policies, procedures and protocol and promote discussion about codes of conduct in the office and offsite.

Let’s face it. Most events are boring. But they don’t have to be. This highly actionable, fast-reading guide is chock-full of unconventional, un-borifying tools, ideas and strategies to help you design more captivating and unmissable events for less money and in less time. Whether a veteran, newbie or “accidental” event planner, you’ll learn fresh strategies to smartly select speakers, manage logistics, set a content road map, as well as plan and execute rave-worthy events of all types. Inspired by decades of delivering everything from large-scale corporate events to multiple TEDx gatherings, this fun, practical book will transform how you plan your next event—no matter how large or small. “Any event can become irresistibly engaging. This book will show you how.” —SALLY HOGSHEAD, New York Times bestselling author and CEO of How to Fascinate® “...Fun, creative and pragmatic insights on the why and how of strategic event design...” —LORIE THOMAS, Certified Meeting Professional, Certified Meeting Manager, Executive at SHWorldwide Events in Seattle, WA “The tips and tools in this guide will make any event more impactful and engaging.”—BRIGETTE GROSS, Corporate Events Manager A sampling of what you’ll learn in this guide… \nWhy are some events memorable while others are forgotten immediately? How can you conquer distraction and truly engage participants? What does it really take to uncover the most inspiring speakers, negotiate their participation and create a memorable event? What do TED Talks teach us about events? How can your events be more innovative? How can you handle logistics like a pro—and manage unrealistic timelines, implausible goals and results-hungry stakeholders? What if attendees remember nothing? It’s highly probable unless you do something different. How can you “think outside the slide”? \nBONUS: This guide also gives readers quick and easy access to robust online resources, including a reusable Content Map, videos and planning templates that streamline and simplify event planning.

From a co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios—the Academy Award–winning studio behind Coco, Inside Out, and Toy Story—comes an incisive book about creativity in business and leadership for readers of Daniel Pink, Tom Peters, and Chip and Dan Heath.NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Huffington Post • Financial Times • Success • Inc. • Library JournalCreativity, Inc. is a manual for anyone who strives for originality and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about creativity—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”For nearly twenty years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, WALL-E, and Inside Out, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner thirty Academy Awards. The joyousness of the storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Here, in this book, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable.As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged a partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his co-founding Pixar in 1986. Nine years later, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. The essential ingredient in that movie’s success—and in the thirteen movies that followed—was the unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues built at Pixar, based on leadership and management philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, such as:• Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better.• If you don’t strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead.• It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them.• The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them.• A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.

Across the world each year events of every shape and size are held: from community events, school fairs and local business functions through to the world’s largest festivals, music events, conferences and sporting events. As well as causing celebration and giving voice to issues, these public parties use up resources, send out emissions and generate mountains of waste. Events also have the power to show sustainability in action and every sustainably produced event can inspire and motivate others to action. Written by a leader in event sustainability management, this book is a practical, step-by-step guide taking readers through the key aspects of how to identify, evaluate and manage event sustainability issues and impacts and to use the event for good – it's for events of any style and scale, anywhere in the world. Now in its third edition, this is the indispensable one-stop guide for event professionals and event management students who want to adjust their thinking and planning decisions towards sustainability, and who need a powerful, easy-to-use collection of tools to deliver events sustainably.

The book Lifehack calls "The Bible of business and personal productivity.""A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'"—Fast CompanySince it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. “GTD” is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and offshoots.Allen has rewritten the book from start to finish, tweaking his classic text with important perspectives on the new workplace, and adding material that will make the book fresh and relevant for years to come. This new edition of Getting Things Done will be welcomed not only by its hundreds of thousands of existing fans but also by a whole new generation eager to adopt its proven principles.

This handbook will change the way you think about how events change the world you live in. It shows the way to re-design your world on one sheet of paper using the #EventCanvas. This book identifies the starting point of any event and outlines steps of how events come to life. It focuses on the DNA of specific aspects of events, and provides insight into how to observe and analyze events, understand stakeholders, and define behavioural changes required to deliver value. It also identifies the levers and mechanisms that influence such behavioural changes in event design.This handbook lays the foundation for creating a common language. A language that can be spoken and understood by those who know and those who don’t yet know the mechanics of events. It is a pragmatic approach for designing and creating events that matter.

This text chronicles and champions the development, changes, and challenges faced by the global celebrations industry for event planners. New interviews are included with experienced event leaders to give a better understanding of the field. New chapters are included on green events, corporate social responsibility, and theoretical case studies. Event measurement, evaluation, and assessment topics are integrated throughout a number of the chapters. Over 200 new Web resources and appendices show how to save money, time, and improve the overall quality of an event. Event planners will also learn how technology may be harnessed to help them improve their events’ financial, quality, environmental and other strategic outcomes.

Event marketing is big business: U.S. corporations invest more than $300 billion a year in every kind of event-from webinars, tradeshows, product launches, and golf hospitality functions, to user groups and customer conferences. In The Event Marketing Handbook, industry expert Allison Saget shows marketing professionals how to maximize return on investment for the dollars their companies spend on events. She believes that event marketing is a strategic, dynamic discipline linked to a firm's business objectives and sales goals. The key, according to Saget, is a great BLT-Brand Recognition, Lead generation, and Thought Leadership. In this A-to-Z guide, Saget shows professionals how to drive results through integrated marketing activities, such as advertising, direct mail, and public relations. She also answers crucial questions like: "How do I reach my target audiences?" "Why and when should we use celebrities at our events?" and "How do I plan a press and analyst program within an event?" Packed with case studies, planning templates, sample time frames, event programs, and names of associations, The Event Marketing Handbook is designed for every marketer who wants to think strategically, remember the fundamentals, plan carefully, and achieve results. Beginners and seasoned veterans alike should own this book. Highlights In The Event Marketing Handbook, readers will discover: •An end-to-end process, from planning through measurement •Cautionary advice to help them avoid pitfalls and problems •Myriad tricks of the trade from industry insiders, such as event producers, management companies, exhibit houses, and event moguls.

Practical tools and expert advice for professional event planners Before planning an event, there is much that must be done behind the scenes to make the event successful. Before any thought is even given to timing or location of the event, before the menus are selected and the decor designed, there are proposals to be written, fees and contracts to be negotiated, and safety issues to be considered. This book takes you behind the scenes of event planning and explains every aspect of organizing and strategic planning. This book will be of value to both the professional event planner and to clients who are dealing with planners. Its comprehensive coverage includes: how to prepare winning proposals, and how to understand them if you are the client; how to determine management fees; negotiating contracts; safety issues; designing events in multicultural settings; and new technology that makes operations more efficient (such as online registration and response management, database project management tools). The book also includes practical tools such as sample letters of agreement, sample layouts for client proposals, forms, and checklists. Professional event planner Judy Allen offers first-time or professional event planners all the top-class advice they need to make their special events come off without a hitch.

This Award winning book is for those that organize or plan meetings, conferences or events. It is a manifesto for the discipline of Meeting Architecture. It reveals the process and a set of tools for designing better, more effective, high impact meetings, conferences and events.

Providing a comprehensive guide to understanding, planning, promoting, and producing special events, this seventh edition of Special Events, 7th Edition describes the theory and practice of all aspects of event management. Written for current and future event leaders, the text continues to expand its emphasis on the growing globalization of the profession, taking into account the skills leaders need to deal with other cultures, societies, and business practices to plan and deliver successful events. New coverage includes sustainability, technology, security/risk management, and the impact of social media on events and event marketing. 15 all-new case studies have been included, as well as a brief glossary of terms at the end of each chapter to further define the terms used in the chapter.

Whether you want to break into this burgeoning industry, or you simply need to plan an event and don’t know where to start, there’s something for all would-be event planners in Event Management For Dummies. Packed with tips, hints and checklists, it covers all aspects of planning and running an event – from budgeting, scheduling and promotion, to finding the location, sorting security, health and safety, and much more. Open the book and find: \nPlanning, budgeting and strategy Guests and target audience Promoting and marketing events Location, venue and travel logistics Food, drink, entertainment and themes Security, health and safety, permissions, insurance and the like Tips for building a career in event management

The premier safety guidebook for anyone working in the event industry.The Event Safety Guide is the United States’ first published safety guidance directed specifically at the live event industry. Culled from existing life safety standards and the insight of top professionals within the event industry, The Event Safety Guide compiles the best operational practices currently available in the live event industry in a single easily referenced manual.The guide is not a how-to book” or a complicated set of standards. Rather, it is intended to help busy industry professionals know what safe workplace practices might be, heighten their understanding of the importance of safety in everything they do, and apply these best practices in their daily work.Designed for field use, The Event Safety Guide is categorically organized and written in straightforward and easily understood language. Thirty-nine chapters and five appendixes address a broad range of subjects relevant to most events, including emergency planning, weather preparedness, and fire safety, as well as specific technical issues such as pyrotechnics, rigging, and temporary staging. Included appendixes provide additional resources, including helpful planning checklists and information on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS). All referenced standards are thoroughly cited within the text to ensure readers know precisely where to turn for additional information.Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just starting out in the event industry, you’ll find The Event Safety Guide to be an indispensable reference when planning your next event.

Event Studies is the only book devoted to developing knowledge and theory about planned events. It focuses on event planning and management, outcomes, the experience of events and the meanings attached to them, the dynamic processes shaping events and why people attend them. This title draws from a large number of foundation disciplines and closely related professional fields, to foster interdisciplinary theory focused on planned events. It brings together important discourses on events including event management, event tourism, and the study of events within various disciplines that are able to shed light on the roles, importance and impacts of events in society and culture. New to this edition: \nNew sections on social and intangible influences, consumer psychology and legal environment, planning and policy framework to reflect recent developments in the field Extended coverage of philosophy and research methods and how they can best be used in event studies; social media as a marketing tool; and the class and cultural influences of events New and additional case studies throughout the book from a wide range of international events Companion website to include PowerPoint slides and updated Instructor’s Manual including suggested lecture outlines and sequence, quizzes per chapter and essay questions.\n\n

An adaptation of Dale Carnegie’s timeless prescriptions for the digital age.Dale Carnegie’s time-tested advice has carried millions upon millions of readers for more than seventy-five years up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Now the first and best book of its kind has been rebooted to tame the complexities of modern times and will teach you how to communicate with diplomacy and tact, capitalize on a solid network, make people like you, project your message widely and clearly, be a more effective leader, increase your ability to get things done, and optimize the power of digital tools.Dale Carnegie’s commonsense approach to communicating has endured for a century, touching millions and millions of readers. The only diploma that hangs in Warren Buffett’s office is his certificate from Dale Carnegie Training. Lee Iacocca credits Carnegie for giving him the courage to speak in public. Dilbert creator Scott Adams called Carnegie’s teachings “life-changing.” To demonstrate the lasting relevancy of his tools, Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., has reimagined his prescriptions and his advice for our difficult digital age. We may communicate today with different tools and with greater speed, but Carnegie’s advice on how to communicate, lead, and work efficiently remains priceless across the ages.

"Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!" --Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TEDFrom the host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart, an exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond.In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive--which they don't have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play.Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn't, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings--conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp--and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience.The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue--and how you host and attend them.

For courses in meeting, event, and convention planning. Current, concise, and insightful—a modern guide to planning successful events Planning and Management of Meetings, Events, Expositions and Conventions, 1e is the first text of its kind to focus on planning (in addition to event management), and incorporates the Meeting and Business Events Competency Standards (MBECS). It is the most up-to-date book on planning and management in the meetings, expositions, events, and conventions (MEEC) industry and covers a wide range of topics dealing with these two crucial functions. The text follows a practical, hands-on approach and is an excellent resource for college courses, employee training, and professional reference. Developed as a collaborative work, the text features contributions from some of the best and most notable practitioners and educators in the field. Teaching and Learning Experience This text will provide a better teaching and learning experience—for you and your students. It provides: \n Preparation for careers in event planning: The text follows a practical, career-focused approach. \n Professional insight: Chaptersinclude advice and best practices from numerous industry insiders. \n Effective review tools: Learning and review tools facilitate understanding and promote skill mastery.

The guide that proves your meetings don't have to suck! There's a big dull elephant in the boardroom: this meeting! Most of the millions of meetings held in the world today are a monumental waste of time and talent. Worse still, most of the so-called solutions and books for boring meetings are twice as boring. Boring Meetings Suck provides tips and tactics to deliver "Get-In, Get-It-Done, or Get-Out" style meetings, while also tackling what most prefer to avoid; that you don't have to BE in charge of a meeting to TAKE charge of a meeting. This entertaining and take-no-prisoners guide is full of easily deployed SRDs?Suckification Reduction Devices?that will help you make your next meeting both efficient and effective. \nEmpowers attendees to politely speak up and get a meeting back on track, or graciously get out, without being fired Shows how hosts can capitalize on technology, learning to crowd-source problems and increase participation Defines surefire methods to get meetings to start and end on time and not have the speaker read the slides STOPS over-invitation syndrome The author has appeared before many major corporate clients, and was named a "Top Business Professional Under 40" by American City Business Journals \nYour meetings do not have to bore, nor must they suck. Instead, get the winning techniques in Boring Meetings Suck, and make your meetings awesome in their engagement and productivity, or stop having them!

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Experience the book that started the Quiet Movement and revolutionized how the world sees introverts—and how introverts see themselves—by offering validation, inclusion, and inspiration“Superbly researched, deeply insightful, and a fascinating read, Quiet is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to understand the gifts of the introverted half of the population.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness ProjectNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY People • O: The Oprah Magazine • Christian Science Monitor • Inc. • Library Journal • Kirkus ReviewsWhat are the advantages of being an introvert? They make up at least one-third of the people we know. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how you see yourself.Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content

The internationally acclaimed event producer shows his ideas and inspiration for ultimate and intimate celebrations\nWhat defines a truly great party? Most of all: generosity of spirit. In his first book, Bronson van Wyck, the man Vogue called 'The Wizard of Oz of New York party planning,' distills the essential pillars of the art of celebration into one volume, with examples drawn from his many successes - and, admittedly, a few entertaining failures. Lusciously illustrated with images from van Wyck's most spectacular events, this is the perfect primer on throwing parties that are as much fun to give as they are to attend.

The essential complement to the pathbreaking book Competitive Strategy, Michael E. Porter's Competitive Advantage explores the underpinnings of competitive advantage in the individual firm.Competitive Advantage introduces a whole new way of understanding what a firm does. Porter's groundbreaking concept of the value chain disaggregates a company into "activities," or the discrete functions or processes that represent the elemental building blocks of competitive advantage.Now an essential part of international business thinking, Competitive Advantage takes strategy from broad vision to an internally consistent configuration of activities. Its powerful framework provides the tools to understand the drivers of cost and a company's relative cost position. Porter's value chain enables managers to isolate the underlying sources of buyer value that will command a premium price, and the reasons why one product or service substitutes for another. He shows how competitive advantage lies not only in activities themselves but in the way activities relate to each other, to supplier activities, and to customer activities. Competitive Advantage also provides for the first time the tools to strategically segment an industry and rigorously assess the competitive logic of diversification.That the phrases "competitive advantage" and "sustainable competitive advantage" have become commonplace is testimony to the power of Porter's ideas. Competitive Advantage has guided countless companies, business school students, and scholars in understanding the roots of competition. Porter's work captures the extraordinary complexity of competition in a way that makes strategy both concrete and actionable.

Great things don't happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming.This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world's most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming. Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before Shorten meetings and make them more productive Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics Identify a problem's root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution

You can go after the job you want—and get it!You can take the job you have—and improve it!You can take any situation—and make it work for you!Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you:-Six ways to make people like you-Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking-Nine ways to change people without arousing resentmentAnd much more! Achieve your maximum potential—a must-read for the twenty-first century with more than 15 million copies sold!

Whether you're a first-time event organizer or a seasoned pro, you'll learn how to plan, implement, promote and manage festivals and community events of all sizes. This essential handbook walks you through each step of running a successful event in a logical progression.\nDiscover how to find your organizing committee and on-site volunteers. Explore event themes for music, food, wine, beer, books, film and air shows. Find out what sponsors need and want, and how budgets, money handling and online ticket sales work. Master the key components of marketing a festival, and social media and publicity strategies to use before, during and after your event.\nLearn the steps to book talent - headliners, artists, speakers, musicians, pilots, performers, winemakers, authors, chefs, entertainers and brewmasters. Review revenue generating options and what's needed to sell food, drinks and merchandise.\nYou'll find a wealth of insights, tips, tools and resources based on the author's years of hands-on experience.

A science-backed method to maximize creative potential in any sphere of life With the prevalence of computer technology and outsourcing, new jobs and fulfilling lives will rely heavily on creativity and innovation. Keith Sawyer draws from his expansive research of the creative journey, exceptional creators, creative abilities, and world-changing innovations to create an accessible, eight-step program to increasing anyone's creative potential. Sawyer reveals the surprising secrets of highly creative people (such as learning to ask better questions when faced with a problem), demonstrates how to come up with better ideas, and explains how to carry those ideas to fruition most effectively. This science-backed, step-by step method can maximize our creative potential in any sphere of life. \nOffers a proven method for developing new ideas and creative problem-solving no matter what your profession Includes an eight-step method, 30 practices, and more than 100 techniques that can be launched at any point in a creative journey Psychologist, jazz pianist, and author Keith Sawyer studied with world-famous creativity expert Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi \nSawyer's book offers a wealth of easy to apply strategies and ideas for anyone who wants to tap into their creative power.

For readers of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and The Power of Habit comes a revelatory, witty guide to a clearer home and a more creative mind. Can a decluttered space fuel a creative mind? Heck yes, says organizing expert Fay Wolf, who has helped everyone from Hollywood celebrities to schoolteachers to work-from-home parents achieve a less cluttered, more creative life. Here, Wolf outlines her basic rules for saying goodbye to the stuff crowding up your space and hello to new habits that free you up for the things you're passionate about. And it can all be done in as little as a few minutes a day. Learn how to:create productive to-do lists * stem the flood of paper * downsize digital clutter and social media * arrange your space to spark creative juices * curb your desire to accumulate * collaborate and connect with others for support * embrace imperfection * keep up the momentum Wolf also shares her favorite productivity apps and resources for donating your many, many items. From the outer clutter of your home to the inner clutter of your chatty mind, this handbook will help you make room for artistic inspiration and invite you to treat yourself to less.Advance praise for New Order "New Order seriously changed my life."--Emily Deschanel "Fay Wolf is some kind of superhero."--Jesse Tyler Ferguson "Wolf is a rare talent. Part therapist, part creative thinker and part best friend, she's the right messenger to heal a whole new generation's organizational woes."--Maxwell Ryan, Founder, Apartment Therapy

"This book is a life lesson, a success road map and a laugh-out-loud look into one of the great business and creative minds working today." -John Klymshyn, Author of How to Sell Without Being A JERK! and The Ultimate Sales Managers' GuideAndrea Michaels is literally one of the backbones of the special events industry. Launching her business when there was no formalized or defined marketplace, she was and still is a trailblazer, pioneering the way for others to follow. Always on the cutting edge of the business, she has stacked up a pile of firsts (and 50 prestigious awards) in her legendary career - from initiating corporate branding and messaging into events and interactive themes that create experiences for guests to entering the international market ahead of her colleagues and incorporating never-before-used technology into her events, just to name a few. That alone should make her extraordinary, but she runs much deeper. Noted as one of the most caring and giving educators of our time, she has traveled the world to teach others not just her art and craft but to help them learn from her own mistakes. How did this genius evolve? Why is she so revered by all her peers? What does she know that we don't? Reflections of a Successful Wallflower can only be compared to reading Andrea's diaries. This first inductee into the industry Hall of Fame shares, openly and candidly, not only the public wunderkind but the inner woman. Discover the workings of one of the foremost event producers in the world. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll be in disbelief and fascinated at the same time. She is a storyteller, and her stories and her life are great lessons for everyone.Never one to miss an opportunity, this book shares the behind-the-scenes stories that relate to not just her life but her life in events and answers the multitude of questions she's asked. How did she keep it together with all of the personal and business challenges that are a part of everyone's life? How did she deal with the stress? How did she venture out globally? How did she manage to raise a child along with a 24/7 career? What about working effectively with different cultures and values? What did she do when nothing went right? Unions? Missteps? The weather? Dealing with inexperienced and difficult clients? Developing trust? What about new and current trends like "Going Green" and "Sustainability" and "Social Responsibility"? This book tells all.What Her Peers Are Saying ..."She is a leader, mentor and educator to virtually the entire industry. Andrea Michaels has set the extraordinary standard against which all special event professionals strive to be measured!" -Steve Kemble, America's Sassiest Lifestyle Guru"Meet Andrea Michaels and enjoy, laugh, learn and sometimes marvel at the stories she tells from her more than 30 years in the event production business. Her stories are entertaining at their surface, but read deeply and find the lessons to be learned ... By the end of this fun read, it will be apparent how it is that Andrea Michaels seems to have never met a sow's ear she couldn't make into a silk purse. It's that special talent that has made her such a sought-after producer and guest speaker at event conferences worldwide. " -Robert Abbot, Director - Corporate Marketing Communication, Mueller Co."Andrea has such fascinating stories to tell ... this will be essential reading for anyone who is in the business and can relate to all her experiences and how she lived and laughed through them." -James D. Murphy, Vice President, Asia Pacific Operations, George P. Johnson"While Andrea is imitated by many, she is equaled by few." -Sally Webb, Managing Director, The Special Event Company, London, EnglandAuthor Bio:Andrea Michaels, an international meeting and event producer, is the President/Founder of Extraordinary Events. In a few words, she sets the trends; others follow.

The Phillips ROI MethodologyT utilizes five levels of evaluation, which are essential in determining the return on investment.At Level 1 - Reaction and Planned Action, attendee and stakeholder satisfaction from the meeting can be measured. Almost all organizations evaluate at Level 1, usually with a generic, end-of-meeting questionnaire. While this level of evaluation is important as a "stakeholder" satisfaction measure, a favorable reaction does not ensure that attendees have acquired new skills, knowledge, opinions or attitudes from the meeting. At Level 2 - Learning, measurements focus on what participants learned during the meeting using tests, skill practices, role-plays, simulations, group evaluations, and other assessment tools. A learning check is helpful to ensure that attendees have absorbed the meeting material or messages and know how to use or apply it properly. It is also important at this level to determine the quantity and quality of new professional contacts acquired and whether existing professional contacts were strengthened due to the meeting. However, a positive measure at this level is no guarantee that what was learned or whether the professional contacts acquired will be used on the job. At Level 3 - Job Applications, a variety of follow-up methods can be used to determine if attendees applied on the job what they learned or acquired at the meeting. The frequency and use of skills are important measures at Level 3. While Level 3 evaluations are important to gauge the success of the meeting, it still does not guarantee that there will be a positive business impact in the organization or for the attendee. At Level 4 - Business Results, the measurement focuses on the actual business results achieved by meeting participants as they successfully apply the meeting material or messages. Typical Level 4 measures include output, sales, quality, costs, time and customer satisfaction. Although the meeting may produce a measurable business impact, there is still a concern that the meeting may cost too much. At Level 5 - Return on Investment, this ultimate level of measurement compares the monetary benefits from the meeting with the fully-loaded meeting costs as expressed in the ROI formula. All levels of evaluation must be conducted in order to determine the ROI of a meeting or event. The data collected should show a chain of impact occurring through the levels as the skills and knowledge learned (Level 2) are applied on the job (Level 3) to produce business results (Level 4). * Introduces and demonstrates Jack J. Phillips's well-established ROI measurement methodology * Addresses the growing demands from stakeholders to prove the value of meetings through data * Endorsed by MPI (Meeting Professionals International)

Practical, prescriptive advice on successfully marketing your event planning business Recent years have been tough on the event planning industry. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, economic downturns, wars, and SARS have all negatively impacted the business. There are fewer corporate dollars dedicated to travel budgets and special events, creating even more pressure on businesses in an already highly competitive industry. This book tells you all you need to know to market your business and build your client base in good times and bad. Marketing Your Event Planning Business shows you how to gain a competitive advantage by setting yourself apart from the competition, pursuing new markets, and soliciting sales. It covers all the vital topics in event planning marketing, including how to diversify your client base, develop niche markets, improve your customer service, establish emergency business plans, and much more. \nIdeal for event planners, marketing managers in the industry, and professionals in the hospitality, culinary, or travel industries Includes actionable advice on successfully marketing an event planning business Features illustrative examples, practical tips, and useful checklists and other resources \nMarketing Your Event Planning Business is packed with practical tips and examples, giving you creative new ways to showcase your talents, build your business, and bring added value to your clients.

The bestselling business book from award-winning restauranteur Danny Meyer, of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake ShackSeventy-five percent of all new restaurant ventures fail, and of those that do stick around, only a few become icons. Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and hopeful investors. He is now the co-owner of a restaurant empire. How did he do it? How did he beat the odds in one of the toughest trades around? In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he learned developing the dynamic philosophy he calls Enlightened Hospitality. The tenets of that philosophy, which emphasize strong in-house relationships as well as customer satisfaction, are applicable to anyone who works in any business. Whether you are a manager, an executive, or a waiter, Danny’s story and philosophy will help you become more effective and productive, while deepening your understanding and appreciation of a job well done.Setting the Table is landmark a motivational work from one of our era’s most gifted and insightful business leaders.

Every year, events of every possible description are held around the world. Be they community events, large academic conferences, business meetings or enormous music concerts, festival, expos, and sporting events, they all have a massive impact on our environment.It could be said the most environmental friendly event is no event at all. But that's no fun. Public parties and events always have been and always will be a part of the human story. Yet those who stage events have a social and environmental responsibility to reduce their impacts. If all event professionals kept sustainability at the core of their planning and decision-making, then the cumulative outcome across the globe would be impressive. But where do you start? Written by a leader in the field, this new practical, step-by-step guide leads readers through all of the key aspects of how to understand and manage the impacts of events of any type and scale anywhere. The product of tried-and-tested methods used across the event industry, coverage includes an overview of sustainable event management and detailed discussion of energy, zero emissions options, carbon management and, transport, water, waste management and reduction, procurement and supply chains as well as communications and marketing.Numerous examples and case studies from across the world are integrated throughout to illustrate key points including how to avoid common pitfalls. Festivals profiled and their systems revealed include the iconic and incredibly green Boom Festival in Portugal, desert-based Burning Man in Nevada USA, grandmother green event Glastonbury Festival, UK rock icons Reading & Leeds Festivals and the Danish over-achiever Roskilde Festival.Case studies and examples also come from leading Australian events including Peats Ridge Festival, Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass, Meredith Music Festival, Falls Festival, Southbound and the iconic Woodford Folk Festival. From the USA green ground is covered by Boonaroo, Rothbury and Coachella festivals, along with the recent US Democratic Convention. Readers are also provided with checklists for action as well as additional tools for measuring performance and assessing key sustainability indicators. The book is also coupled with a companion website that provides further materials, case studies, contacts for suppliers, discussion groups and more.This is the indispensable one-stop guide for event and facility organizers, managers and professionals, and event management students who want to adjust their thinking and planning decisions towards sustainability and who need a powerful, easy to use collection of tools to deliver events sustainably.

A Curious Invitation Features Forty Of The Greatest Fictional Festivities. Some Of These Parties Are Depictions Of Real Events, Like The Duchess Of Richmond’s Ball On The Eve Of Battle With Napoleon In Thackeray’s Vanity Fair; Others Draw On The Author’s Experience Of The Society They Lived In, Such As Lady Metroland’s Party In Evelyn Waugh’s Vile Bodies; While Yet Others Come Straight From The Writer’s Bizarre Imagination, Like Douglas Adams’ Flying Party Above An Unknown Planet From ‘the Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy'. --publisher Description. Suzette Field. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 292-300).