BizBash | Events * Meetings * Marketing * Style * Strategy * Ideas

The Wall Street Journal published its ranking of influential business thinkers today. The top five are Harvard professor Howard Gardner, writer Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Gates, columnist Thomas L. Friedman, and, coming in at number one, “strategy guru” Gary Hamel.

It may seem like a motley crew, but one thing they all seem to have in common is how much money people will pay them to speak at events. “Speakers' bureaus say most of the top-echelon business speakers charge between $50,000 and $75,000 a pop,” writes Erin White. “Among the most in-demand are Good to Great author Jim Collins, Death by Meeting author Patrick Lencioni, Dr. Hamel, Prof. Porter, and Our Iceberg Is Melting author John Kotter, speakers' bureaus say.” MORE >>

The Wall Street Journal

NEWS 10.08.07 12:37 PM

Wall Street Journal Adds More Conferences

Forget about declining circulation and the cost of newsprint—The Wall Street Journal is adding a more lucrative feature to its portfolio. The newspaper is expanding the number of conferences it produces, according to The New York Times. Four years ago, the paper created a successful technology conference called "D: All Things Digital." Now the paper plans to add several more, the first of which, "Eco:nomics," will focus on business and the environment. The goal is to attract 200 senior executives at a ticket price of $3,495 each. The lineup will include C.E.O.s of companies including Wal-Mart and Dow Chemical. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has also been invited to participate but has yet to commit. Executives at The Journal told The Times that the events can yield several hundred thousand dollars in profit.

The Wall Street Journal

LOCATION SCOUT 10.05.07 10:47 AM

Venues: What Planners Want

What do event planners and producers look for in a venue, besides the obvious things like capacity, location, and cost? We recently asked them to tell us—and to share their pet peeves. Here are some of their thoughts:

Bathrooms: "Somehow it seems that the line for the women's room is always twice as long as the men's room, which is precisely why I like venues that have twice as many women's rooms as men's rooms. Furthermore, there should be enough bathrooms so that the lines are minimal, if not negligible. [There is] nothing worse than waiting in line for a restroom at a great party. These are the things that people tend to remember."
—Patti Rego, promotion manager, W magazine

Ceilings: "High ceilings with rigging points allow us to suspend design elements—and people! When a room becomes full of people, the only visible branding is seen overhead, so high ceilings or the ability to raise elements up high are extremely valuable when large numbers attend an event. Another problem is that you cannot project light or video images across a room when guests' heads are interrupting the images."
—Alice Turner, executive vice president, XA, the Experiential Agency MORE >>

The Wall Street Journal, VH1, Unilever, W Magazine, People en Espanol, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, VH1 Save the Music Foundation

MY FAVORITE VENDORS 08.17.07 11:30 AM

Caroline Kasabian Likes the Core Club

Photo: Courtesy of Caroline Kasabian

Caroline Kasabian is special events manager at The Wall Street Journal, where she develops, produces, and executes the publication’s film, arts, and fashion events.

Venue: “Through The Wall Street Journal’s exclusive membership with the Core Club, we have hosted various events such as branding for The Journal, client entertaining, and custom added-value opportunities for advertisers.”

The Wall Street Journal