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How Do You Make Staffers Feel Appreciated—at Little or No Cost?
Leo Burnett's employee art gallery Photo: Courtesy of Leo Burnett
In a year of cutbacks and salary freezes, perhaps now more than ever, hard-working employees need to feel valued, even in small ways. Jennifer Savica, TD Bank’s vice president of event management, rewards her staff with little perks throughout the year, like taking everyone out for ice cream in the summer, treating people to their favorite drinks at Starbucks on a cold day, and occasionally allowing casual Fridays. “I try to show appreciation for my team every day by creating a true democracy—asking their opinions, including them in many of the department decisions, and empowering them to do their job,” she says.MORE >>
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Leo Burnett , Publix , TD Bank , Boston Beer Company , Warner Brothers
THE SCOUT
3 Ideas for Stylish, Eco-Friendly Events
FormDecor's box hedge planter Photo: Courtesy of FormDecor
For a stylish event that makes a statement, check out these companies offering unfussy and Earth-friendly products.Lilikoi Design & Letterpress creates understated letterpress work, including invitations, menus, and seating cards that can be customized with any logo or message. The company implements eco-friendly practices whenever possible by operating its letterpress manually, with no electricity required. Lilikoi also uses reclaimed cotton paper and recycled envelopes. Turnaround time for printing is approximately two weeks after art is approved. Prices vary depending on artwork, but a one-color, one-sided 5- by 7-inch invitation with envelope starts at $6, or $7.50 for two colors; a one-color, one-sided 8.5- by 4-inch menu starts at $4; or a one-color, one-sided 6- by 9-inch event program card starts at $7. Pricing includes custom design and delivery in the L.A. area.
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Going Green
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50 Budget-Friendly Ideas for Holiday Parties: Food, Gifts, Decor, and More
MoMA's pop-up centerpiece Photo: Courtesy of MoMA Design Store
1-3. Skip cupcakes for a fresh, high-quality sheet cake. Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago makes spice cake with apples, brown sugar frosting, and streusel; a half-sheet for $130 feeds 45. Mäni’s Bakery in Los Angeles makes an organic carrot-raisin cake, which costs $160 for a half-sheet and serves 65. Miami’s Yummy Cakes and More can make its chocolate explosion cake, with a half-sheet (enough for 65 guests) starting at $65.Cool Shooter shot mold , available for $12.95 each. Broadway Party Rentals in New York, which rents for $30 and up. Or, to dress up a plain bin and keep things cool, Classic Party Rentals provides the 6 Velon chilling wrap (prices vary).
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Corporate Holiday Parties , iStar Financial , Paul Wilmot Communications , The Economist
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Cort's New Line of Glowing LED Furniture
Cort's Luna Lighting collection Photo: Courtesy of Cort Event Furnishings
Cort Event Furnishings recently launched a new line of LED furniture called the Luna Lighting collection. Rental items include bars, bar-height tables, and pedestals that are lit from within by battery-operated LEDs that last up to eight hours. The lights come in eight colors (red, white, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, and purple), and can be programmed to illuminate the pieces in a solid hue, or fade or flash from color to color. Brushed stainless steel tabletops and frames give the collection a polished look and help make the pieces sturdier. The modular design of the collection offers flexibility as well. The bar can be configured in circular, serpentine, or perpendicular shapes. Pedestals can be turned into tables with round or rectangular tabletops, and can also be connected to create glowing columns. The pieces are available throughout the U.S. and the company will deliver to Canada, depending on the size of the order. Prices range from $56 to $600. —Lisa Cericola
THE SCOUT
6 New Products Spotted at the BizBash New York Expo
Cloth Connection's new overlay Photo: BizBash
FROM NEW YORK
More than 200 exhibitors displayed a range of products and services for events at the BizBash Expo at the Javits Center on Wednesday. Here are some new items that caught our attention on the bustling trade show floor.Cloth Connection just released a line of overlays called the Artistic Braided collection. The sparkly linens are available in an array of colors, including gold, silver, black, copper, red, turquoise, and purple. The linens are available throughout the U.S. and pricing varies, as the overlays are created to order.
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Bizbash New York Expo
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New Company Offers Affordable Video for Events or Web Sites
Video stills from Your Story Everywhere projects Photo: Your Story Everywhere
Recently launched video production company Your Story Everywhere specializes in affordable minute-long films for Web sites, whether viral marketing campaigns or informative documentary-style pieces. The Columbus, Ohio-based company can also handle longer projects like tribute videos or footage for award shows, which are available on DVD. For short films, typically the time from shoot to finished video is approximately 14 days. The company sends clients periodic updates as a film is being edited so they can follow the video's progress and request changes. Unlike other video production companies, prices for projects are deteremined by the length of the video. A fully produced and edited 60-second video is $1,000, a 90-second video is $2,000, and a 120-second piece is $3,000. Longer videos are priced on request. Travel costs and a la carte options like high-definition cameras and motion graphics are additional. —Lisa Cericola
THE SCOUT
4 Ideas for Food-Focused Events
Chef Robert Danhi leads walking tours of Little Saigon. Photo: Robert Danhi
Working on a food-centric outing? Explore these four rental, cooking, tour, and gift options.Town & Country Event Rentals is offering a new cooking demonstration table that provides a view for guests to watch the action. The set consists of a 3- by 6-foot swiveling plexiglass mirror that can be adjusted to various heights and a brushed steel frame with interlocking casters. The 6-foot by 30-inch table affords a large work area, and a shelf below can be used for storage during the cooking process. The unit rents for $295.Robert Danhi leads groups on walking tours of Little Saigon. The chef takes guests through markets, with stops to sample treats at small shops, and to a tofu factory for samples. The tour concludes at a local restaurant where Danhi will demonstrate a recipe from his book Southeast Asian Flavors: Adventures in Cooking the Foods of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia & Singapore . At the end of the tour, participants receive one of the chef’s cookbooks. The ideal group size is fewer than 20 people to keep everyone together; larger groups can be accommodated in a modified format. Base price per person is $100 for the tour and includes a book, tastings, and a meal. Customized tours are possible.
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Teambuilding
