… They always told me I had one!!!
Up, Up and Away!!!
What has been my life for the last twenty years – couldn’t tie a balloon then but have been a Certified Balloon Artist for almost 15 years now. One part commentary on the industry and job from an owner’s perspective; one part information disseminator of balloon information; one part business consultant for your Balloon Shop. Lots of information, management and store design as well as marketing and e-commerce all rolled into one.
Event Planning 101 – Be Professional!
11 years
Professional Event Managers
When you are planning your next event, there are always going to be a million things you will have to do. The list is endless and you have to determine from the start exactly how much you are going to do yourself and how much you can delegate to others. You also have to decide, very carefully, WHO you are delegating to.
Everyone is so well-intentioned when they hear you are planning a party. All your friends start to tell you what they have done in the past and what you should do because “they have learned form their experience”. Some family members will offer to help too and you figure that you now have all your bases covered.
Well, maybe you do.
And then again, maybe you don’t.
That is where you have to debate an issue – go with friends and family that have all good things in mind but may not have the time or the wear-with-all to get the task done or go to a party planner / event manager. That brings us to the crux of this article.
Usually, someone has a “friend of a friend whose cousin’s niece is into that party planning stuff”. Here is the question you need to ask – is that person a professional or just really passionate about making a social event the event of the year?
There are reasons to use a professional party planner or event manager for your upcoming event. Here’s a list of things to keep in mind when you meet with a planner/manager for the first time:
1. Come straight out with it – “Is this your profession? Or are you just doing this on the side?
Let’s face it – you barely have enough time to plan everything; if this “professional” is merely doing this in their spare time, exactly how much attention do you think they can give your event? Don’t expect any to be at your beck and call; you’ll be disappointed when any professional in any field cannot do that for you. But have a normal expectation of their availability. Phone calls should be returned by the end of a business day, e-mails should be professional and responded to expediently.
2. How long have you been planning events? How many events do you have going on simultaneously?
As with any service, longevity can give you a good sign of how the planner/manager approaches things. Many years in the business can mean a wealth of experience and a plethora of ideas, along with contracted vendors who have good working relationships with the planner. Newer managers and planners may have a great many fresh and creative ideas. Some judging of the “book” and “its cover” may be necessary – if the person is scattered and unorganized, be careful. Event management takes a person who is detail oriented and meticulous – something you should be able to see upon your first meeting. Those planners flying solo can only handle so many events at once – a company with full staffing can handle more.
3. Will you be at my event to manage it?
Some will charge for this service, some will say its included. You’re paying for it either way. If the manager will be there, it will only add to you having a pleasant experience on the day of your event.
4. What type of insurance does your company have?
Many different ones, hopefully. Liability being the most important of the insurances. Most venues will only work with fully insured vendors. So your main management company has to carry their own liability insurance and insurance for each one of their subcontractors. Be sure to ask the venue you are booking what their requirements are well in advance of your event. Many people wait far too long and trying to get updated insurance certificates and higher policy limits become extremely difficult if not impossible on the weekends when most events take place.
5. Why should I use your company?
It sounds silly but being straightforward will be the best thing you can do to insure a good working relationship with your planner. Ask the person you are considering to handle your event from beginning to end why they think you should go with their company. If they can’t give you a good enough answer, reconsider.
6. Will we be “going to contract”?
Promises, promises, promises mean nothing if your planner or any of their subcontracted companies don’t show up on the day of your event. So many times, companies that provide similar services to the ones you have booked are called and told “My flowers didn’t show” or “The magician said he got the day wrong”. If that other vendor is available, he’s got another job, you’re going crazy to find him and the vendor you originally hired and a great day can turn into a stress-filled nightmare. Contracts should list all pertinent information such as deposit requirements, cancellation policies, restrictions and requirements for you as a customer and more.
Word to the wise, do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It is your hard earned money that’s going to pay for all the festivities – make sure your get your money’s worth. And don’t forget the most important thing of all – when you are at your next event, have some fun!!!
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How long is too long?
11 years
How long do you have to wait?
Bureaucratic processes never cease to amaze me in the length of time they take to transpire.
My partner and I own a 20 year old business located in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. It’s a small event management company handling all types of occasions from Baptisms and Brises to Weddings and 50th Anniversaries – corporate or private parties – large or small, no difference. We are located right across the street from Gargiulo’s Restaurant, a 106 year old Brooklyn staple. That restaurant/catering hall has been in my partner’s family since 1965, family owned and operated.
On October 29, 2012, all of our day-to-day routines were swept out with the tide – literally! Hurricane Sandy moved in, bringing over five feet of water from Coney Island Creek first then the tidal surge from the ocean. All of Coney Island was covered with water and sand from the shore to the Belt Parkway. Not one property was spared.
Cousins had flooded basements; one cousin lost his beachfront home to the ravages of the Atlantic; at least a dozen personal vehicles all sunk; over 10 inches of water on the entire frst floor of the restaurant which is elevated over four feet from street level; a 10 foot tall basement, over 20,000 square feet, filled to the ceiling with sea water.
And then there was our store.
All of our stock had just been delivered. We had some of the best opportunities and events of our careers during the week previous to the storm – a soup-to-nuts First birthday party with a Halloween theme, American Cancer Society called us to due giant arches in Central Park at the start and finish lines of their main New York City fund raising walk, complete balloon decorations on the set of Rachel Ray for her Halloween show. It all seems like a blur at this point – so far removed from our reality now. Counters cracked the front door, items that had been raised up all fell to the floor and were sunk in over five feet of water, all balloon inflating equipment under water, almost all of the stock of balloons we owned gone. Not even the drawer of scissors survived.
We were done.
The day after the storm, my partner and I decided to close. Everything that was ruined by the salt water went into the garbage. Someone came by and told us that FEMA was in the area and we should go speak to them, which we did. It seemed surreal to me – we had vacationed in New Orleans a year before and to be sitting outside the same trailers we had heard about from the residents of the Big Easy was almost too much to bear. My partner was upbeat – positive even. All I wanted to do was cry.
With a restless night’s sleep in a home with no power, we came in the next day and decided to reopen because the representatives at the FEMA trailer sounded so upbeat. We would apply to the SBA and to the NYCEDC – we would be helped. Our staff stepped up and cleaned out the entire store – the young kids who had walked into our store looking for a job years before stood in front of us and told us that “We were in this together” and that they would help us rebuild. We knew we could work as long as we had a pair of scissors, a helium tank and some balloons. And that is what we did.
As we had back in 2001, after the September 11th attacks on our city, we got back to business. Back in 2001, our bank representatives showed up less than a month later to sign off on “Bridge Loans” available from the government to “help us recover”. Then, Coney Island didn’t seem to us like a terrorist’s target but the money came in and we were able to strengthen our business with the SBA behind us. This time, the SBA was behind us – basically kicking us while we were down.
All paperwork filed, interviews and meetings kept. Over thirty phone calls and hundreds of pages later – I am the proud owner of a denial letter from the NYCEDC (too high a risk), a denial letter from the SBA (we didn’t make a large enough profit in 2011) and a final denial from a private program as we owned property – no way to get the funds we needed to rebuild.
We were told we could reapply and appeal decisions. Any money we have made has gone to pay for the new electrical panel, new walls and insulation, new doors and moldings. Jim Parker and over 30 members of BalloonPlanet.com raised money to help us restock our balloon inventory. We received a $500 grant from the Alliance for Coney Island and a “Pay It Forward” grant of $1000 from LiteWing Naturals in New Jersey. These grants have helped us immensely – our thanks will never be enough to repay their kindness and thoughfulness.
But as for my faith in government sponsored programs that are designed to help those who need it most, I can tell you this: I was always told to do good and good would be returned. My partner and I have always tried to do the right thing – we’ve always tried to be fair, honest, supportive of our staff, eager to work for and help others. That is one thing that will never change.
My faith on the promises of our government programs? Swept away with Superstorm Sandy.
Lessons learned? Rely on yourself, treasure those that support you, work hard and pray for sunshine.
Please read the article below for information on the statistics the SBA and NYCEDC claim as “good percentages”.
http://m.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/small-businesses-damaged-sandy-loans-grants-stay-afloat-article-1.1338387
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Bang Head Here!
11 years
See if this works!
I think that this picture says it all.
Over the last 20 years, we have built a strong business presence – following all the marketing, business and promotion advice given to use especially from the Balloon Industry but also every seminar, workshop, class, roundtable and more.
“Be professional” – “Uniforms for employees” – “Procedures, Guidelines and Protocols”
“Write everything down” – “Everything in writing” – “Accountability” – “Transparency”
Blah, blah, blah!!!
Well it appears that we were one of the few companies that listened.
Our employees are consistently mistaken for staff at whatever venue we are in as they all have embroidered uniform shirts, black pants and sneakers. Aprons with our logo, paperwork for each detail of an installation, storage bins to carry equipment, toolboxes, and a vehicle that looks good when we pull up to a site. We have in place procedures for bouquet deliveries, decor installation and breakdowns. We have guidelines in place for alternatives to “regular” deliveries – something goes wrong, we have a quick fix or someone to speak to to get a change accomplished.
And yet, this week, we are once again sabotaged by those who have nothing to do with our company or the deliveries we go on.
A doorman or two think taking the enclosure card off a bouquet is the thing to do after they deliver the balloons to our recipient. Here’s my problem with that – on two levels: one, do they even look at the inside of a folded card to see that there is a sentiment written to go along with the balloon bouquet?? Our national partner can’t imagine how this happens and we end up paying for it in the end – we can say that the card is on the piece, we can take pictures of the card on the piece, we can even take a picture with the doorman smiling in it, holding the balloons while showing the card and it still doesn’t prove the card was attached when it got to the recipient – which brings out the second level here – my employees don’t get to the recipient, they don’t get the tip that the doormen pocket and that is really not fair. On top of which, our company gets fined because the customer states the card was not present – naturally, it has to be our omission – no one else on this supply chain could possibly be responsible.
Yeah, right!
We have had pieces that were left in mail rooms, perfectly arranged when we leave, yet get to the customer with broken even missing balloons. Who pays for that? We do.
For further sabotaging this week, my partner and I have both been chewed out on the phone for missing deliveries of balloons. We immediately check our database, all paperwork including credit card charge reports. Customers calling have been irate – stating that we have “no right to charge for something we had no intention of showing up with” and “I’ll sue you for screwing up my order”.
As I always say, you would think we delivered kidneys! People get very irate over balloons, more so than you would ever think. That warm fuzzy feeling you get when you see a balloon dissipates quickly when you have paid for something and not received what you think you were getting.
The really funny part of this venting blog is this – following our procedures, we ask the customer for their name and order number. After they give us a name, the usual response is then, “I don’t have an order number”. Then we ask the $50,000 question, “Did you receive a confirmation with the order number when you placed the order?” The response? “No.” Every …… single ……. time!!!!
Our orders are processed and regardless of the form of payment you choose to use, we issue you a contract/order number for every single order placed. No ifs, no ands, and no buts. We state this to the irate customer who suddenly says, “Wait isn’t this XYZ Balloons?” To which we answer, “No – you are calling the NY Balloon & Basket Company.”
“Aren’t you located in Somewhere, NY?”
“No, we are located in Coney Island, Brooklyn.”
Here’s how the rest of the conversation usually goes:
“Oh my god – I can’t believe it! I called the wrong company! Are you sure this is not XYZ Balloons? I’m so sorry! What should I so now?”
We usually tell the customer to find out what company they did use, call them and complain and if that doesn’t work, we remind them that they did use a credit card and the credit card companies will gladly put a stop on the charge.
But here’s what I want to say to all my Balloon Industry Colleagues out there in Heliumville –
GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!
TAKE SOME PRIDE IN WHAT YOU DO!
BE PROFESSIONAL!
VALUE YOUR CUSTOMER!
You make the rest of us look bad. But here’s the biggest irony of all – you keep right on doing what you do, XYZ Balloon company because one good thing comes from your horrible customer service, irresponsibility, and lack of value for the clients you had –
The last thing those irate customers usually say before they hang up is, “Thank you so much – I will keep your company’s number for the next time I need balloons – I’m sorry I was so mad – Thank you again!”
That’s the one thing my partner, my staff and I absolutely love – YOUR customers become OURS!!!
