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ideas

December 1, 2013
For the Next Billion conference, Quartz filled the ballroom of the Bohemian National Hall with modern, glowing tables.
For the Next Billion conference, Quartz filled the ballroom of the Bohemian National Hall with modern, glowing tables.
Photo: Kevin Kane
Fruute Gift Basket Corporate Basket
Photo: Courtesy of Fruute
Frank Supovtiz (pictured, left); a 58-foot-tall tobaggan ride the N.F.L. is building as part of a 10-block fan experience in New York for February's Super Bowl.
Frank Supovtiz (pictured, left); a 58-foot-tall tobaggan ride the N.F.L. is building as part of a 10-block fan experience in New York for February's Super Bowl.
Photo: Courtesy of Frank Supovitz, Rendering: Courtesy of the National Football League
XO laptops replaced flowers as centerpieces in the dining room, flashing images of bouquets and alerting diners to their next course.
XO laptops replaced flowers as centerpieces in the dining room, flashing images of bouquets and alerting diners to their next course.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
'Into the Heart of Meetings: Basic Principles of Meeting Design' by Eric de Groot and Mike van der Vijver
'Into the Heart of Meetings: Basic Principles of Meeting Design' by Eric de Groot and Mike van der Vijver
"This provides a wonderful introduction to meeting design," says Adrian Segar of Vermont's Conferences That Work. "Unlike the many books on the profession that emphasize logistics, Eric and Mike's book delves into core questions about meeting design, such as uncovering desired outcomes, working with meeting owners, and what to do to create truly innovative meetings that deliver results. In addition, the wealth of real-life examples included make this a fascinating and thought-provoking read."
Photo: Courtesy of MindMeeting.org
'Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal With Change In Your Work and In Your Life' by Spencer Johnson
'Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal With Change In Your Work and In Your Life' by Spencer Johnson
Howard Givner, executive director of the Event Leadership Institute, says that this book is "broadly applicable, and short and easy to read. It provides a great parable for learning how to take curve balls in stride and not dwelling or complaining about what's happened to you. The proactive, 'let's move forward' approach is one that every planner should adopt, as things rarely go as planned in live events, and it's important to be able to roll with the punches. It helps you go into an event with the mindset that unexpected changes will happen, so when they do you're not thrown off guard."
Photo: Courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons
'Marketing Your Event Planning Business: A Creative Approach to Gaining the Competitive Edge' by Judy Allen
'Marketing Your Event Planning Business: A Creative Approach to Gaining the Competitive Edge' by Judy Allen
"I enjoyed reading this book by Judy Allen," says Eva Gouldbourne, a wedding and event planner at Chicago's Diamond Events. "This book has many specific examples of how to get the kind of business you want and avoid doing things that will make you stand out negatively."
Photo: Courtesy of John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd
'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking' by Susan Cain
'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking' by Susan Cain
A self-proclaimed introvert, Adam Sloyer is the managing director of New York's Sequence Events and president-elect of ISES New York's Metro Chapter. Of this Susan Cain book, he says: "I found this to be a fascinating read, regardless of whether you consider yourself to be an introvert or an extrovert—and after reading this, you may have a different opinion. Quiet dispels many of the standard biases against introverts and also showcases some of the competitive advantages.  Yes, events is a 'people business,' but I found this book to reinforce how introverts can be just as successful."
Photo: Courtesy of Broadway Paperbacks
'Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business' by Danny Meyer
'Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business' by Danny Meyer
David Beahm of New York's David Beahm Design recommends Setting the Table by Danny Meyer. "I was having problems justifying one of my managers' style of management. He wasn't very nice and I didn't like it," Beahm says. "I found Mr. Meyer's concept of fear-based versus trust-based control very validating as to how I want to run my business. If you trust and empower people to do a good job, they will."
Photo: Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers
'Corporate Excellence: How to Maximize Long-term Productivity & Profits by Aligning Purpose, Culture & People' by Jim Harris
'Corporate Excellence: How to Maximize Long-term Productivity & Profits by Aligning Purpose, Culture & People' by Jim Harris
France Langan, sales director of Chicago's Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, recommends checking out this title. "It's an easy read, designed for the busy executive," says Langan. "I think for me, it validated how I try to motivate and work. It also reminded me of how easy business can be if you focus on the individual goals at hand. And, get the right people involved to help. Never do it alone."
Photo: Courtesy of AGR Press
'The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day' by Mindy Weiss
'The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day' by Mindy Weiss
Susan Berg Gladstone, director of the Miami Wine and Food Festival, says: "I am not even a social event planner. But this book covers numerous crucial elements of event planning for any type of event."
Photo: Courtesy of Workman Publishing Company
'How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day' by Michael Gelb
'How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day' by Michael Gelb
Tahira Endean, the director of creative and production at Cantrav Services Inc. in Vancouver, says that all of Michael Gelb's books are must-reads, including this one about Leonardo da Vinci, which "includes a great story about catering in that century." Gelb, she says "truly is a Renaissance man, and I am always inspired by these books. I've read each more than once, and I've given them out to friends between 14 and 70 years of age. I consider these mandatory reading if you want to consider how to live and create better."
Photo: Courtesy of Dell
'Think and Grow Rich: Your Key to Financial Wealth and Power' by Napoleon Hill
'Think and Grow Rich: Your Key to Financial Wealth and Power' by Napoleon Hill
Junou Bernadin, a projects administrator at Food for the Poor in Florida, says that this book by Napoleon Hill is a "must-read for any professional." The lessons it contains are more complex than the title suggests, she says, explaining that it covers the process of overcoming limitations and "striving for the very best. This is what all event planners do. We strive for the best the overall 'wow' factor."
Photo: Courtesy of Success Co.
'Rework' by Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson
'Rework' by Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson
Kristen Kaza, principal at No Small Plans Productions in Chicago, says that this "is a brilliant book from Chicago's 37Signals that gave me the encouragement to start my own company. It has chapters like 'Meetings are Toxic,' 'Fire the Workaholics,' and 'Planning is Guessing.' It's a great, short read with messages that make sense and stick. Everyone should read it."
Photo: Courtesy of Crown Business
'The Wiley Event Management Series' Special Events: A New Generation and the Next Frontier' by Joe Goldblatt
'The Wiley Event Management Series' Special Events: A New Generation and the Next Frontier' by Joe Goldblatt
Julie Ramirez, a production intern at Jonny Stax Presents in Chicago, recommends this title for her peers just getting started in the industry. "The author takes you step-by-step through every process of event managing," she says. "I found this book so helpful when I took my first classes for event management during college, and I still use it as reference from time to time."
Photo: Courtesy of Wiley
'The Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice' by Todd Henry
'The Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice' by Todd Henry
The book "provides guidance on how to make adjustments in your daily routines to facilitate and increase your creativity, which is a vital asset when your profession requires creativity on demand," says Christina Mihalek, corporate events and meeting planner at Western & Southern Financial Group in Cincinnati.
Photo: Courtesy of Portfolio Hardcover
'The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work' by Shawn Achor
'The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work' by Shawn Achor
"This book should be titled Want Your Staff to Make Better Impressions on Your Clients, and Get a Free 15% Productivity Boost?" says Jason Harmer, who works in sales and development at Vancouver's GetWorkers. "Even if your boss is only concerned with the bottom line, this will give you a compelling argument to improve the happiness of your support staff."
Photo: Courtesy of Crown Business
'Meeting Architecture, a Manifesto (Volume 1)' by Maarten Vanneste
'Meeting Architecture, a Manifesto (Volume 1)' by Maarten Vanneste
"This is where meeting planning is headed, I believe," says Dan Cormany, a faculty member at Florida International University. "I use it in my graduate class on convention management.
Photo: Courtesy of Meeting Support Institute
'StrengthsFinder 2.0' by Tom Rath
'StrengthsFinder 2.0' by Tom Rath
Every staffer from Reiventing Events in San Francisco is required to read this book to learn more about teamwork. "It's so important to know each person's strengths when working together" to execute a flawless event, says a company rep.
Photo: Courtesy of Gallup Press
'Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity' by David Allen
'Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity' by David Allen
Taylor McQuiston, the marketing manager at San Diego's Portable Bar Company, says that this book provides "the best organization and productivity system I've found to date."
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Books
'Reflections of a Successful Wallflower: Lessons in Business; Lessons in Life' by Andrea Michaels
'Reflections of a Successful Wallflower: Lessons in Business; Lessons in Life' by Andrea Michaels
"You probably know who she is, but just in case, Michaels is a legendary event producer who's won too many awards to even start on, and she was the first inductee into the Event Industry Hall of Fame," says Sandy Allen, executive producer at the Water Coolers in New York. "Her book takes the tone of a tell-all and covers both personal and professional experiences and perspectives on the industry. I think it's a gem." 
Photo: Courtesy of Outskirts Press
'The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market' by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema
'The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market' by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema
Sean Leo, the director of sales at Delicate Products in Los Angeles, says that this book "helped me understand how to focus my products and services to the event production community." 
Photo: Courtesy of Basic Books
'Boring Meetings Suck: Get More Out of Your Meetings, Or Get Out of More Meetings' by Jon Petz
'Boring Meetings Suck: Get More Out of Your Meetings, Or Get Out of More Meetings' by Jon Petz
Rosemary Vaughan, senior national account manager at Event Technology Services in Ottawa, says that the lighthearted tome "is a very engaging book and reads like it preaches: not boring! It totally resonates with anyone who has ever attended a conference or meeting, and it is quite funny in places. It might compare to Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Little Prince in writing and content style."
Photo: Courtesy of Wiley
'Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose' by Tony Hsieh
'Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose' by Tony Hsieh
Guirlaine Belizaire, donor relations manager at Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding in New York, says that this book is a crash course in "hospitality at its finest."
Photo: Courtesy of Business Plus
Cheryl Cecchetto presented this quiz during her keynote presentation at the BizBash IdeaFest in Los Angeles June 13.
Cheryl Cecchetto presented this quiz during her keynote presentation at the BizBash IdeaFest in Los Angeles June 13.
Photo: Brightroom Inc.
Food Network's 20th Birthday Party
Food Network's 20th Birthday Party

At the anniversary party at New York's Pier 92, staffers offered guests caviar and oysters from an ice bar that had brightly colored plastic sea creatures frozen inside.

Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix
Food Network's 20th Birthday Party
Food Network's 20th Birthday Party

To represent the Food Network magazine, artist Clare Herron spent the event inside an 8- by 8-foot Plexiglas cube with stacks of back issues and a pair of scissors. Throughout the evening, she created a collage by taping magazine cutouts to the walls.

Photo: Courtesy of Food Network
Talking Transition
Talking Transition

On November 9, a tented space in New York's Duarte Square opened as the headquarters for “Talking Transition,” a nonpartisan forum for citizens to express their views to Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s incoming administration. In order to grab the attention of those walking by, black milk crates were stacked outside to spell out the word "talk." Above the entrance, a giant red arrow pointed inside, where more black milk crates hanging from the ceiling spelled out the word "here."

Photo: Brooke Cassidy/BizBash
Acura at the Los Angeles Auto Show
Acura at the Los Angeles Auto Show

At its booth at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Acura set up several small informational tables that projected images of its cars onto smoky condensation that rose up from the tabletops. Using an iPad-like interface, guests could explore different aspects of the vehicles and make images larger or smaller by putting a hand close to the smoky screen. The event wrapped on December 1.

Photo: Jim Shi
American Ballet Theatre's Fall Gala
American Ballet Theatre's Fall Gala

After the theater's performance of The Tempest at the Koch Theater, guests sat to dinner in a stormy environment designed by Bronson van Wyck. In the theater's promenade, seven 39-foot prop cyclones swirled up to the ceiling. In the dinner space, a hand-painted 180-foot storm scene wrapped one side of the balconies, and handmade paper cyclones stretched from the floor to the ceiling.

Photo: Brooke Cassidy/BizBash
The Art Institute of Chicago's Snap Gala
The Art Institute of Chicago's Snap Gala

A photography theme was prevalent at the event, which benefited the Photography Gala Fund. INDO handled the decor, which included centerpieces made of glowing, vintage slides. To add to the shutterbug-friendly atmosphere, a curtain of slides hung from the second floor balcony. And, naturally, the event had no shortage of photo booths for guests.

Photo: Julia Stotz
The Holiday Chic Suite
The Holiday Chic Suite

The Holiday Chic Suite, a lush pop-up space at the 900 Shops on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, is rife with ideas for D.I.Y. office gatherings or home entertaining this season. Overseen by Debi Lilly of A Perfect Event, the setup features place cards tacked onto green apples with bejeweled pins.

Photo: Maypole Studios Photography
Innovative Breakfast Catering
Innovative Breakfast Catering

Here's a new idea for breakfast catering: the Mexican breakfast buffet, or Cocina del Barrio, with Mexican hot chocolate, mango-passion-fruit and grapefruit-carrot juices, fruit empanadas, tropical fruit in a bag, pastel pan dulce, egg scrambles with squash blossoms and queso fresco, and tortillas, by Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe in New Mexico.

Photo: Kevin S. Moul
HP Promotion
HP Promotion

At HP's live music recording session in Los Angeles, on-site graphic artists translated YouTube users' comments into a highly visual backdrop for the track's video.

Photo: Courtesy of HP
Creative Edge Parties' "Bar Bar"
Creative Edge Parties' 'Bar Bar'

New York City caterer Carla Ruben of Creative Edge Parties is offering a new dessert buffet in time for the holiday season. On November 12, Ruben hosted an intimate pre-holiday luncheon to introduce her latest creations, including the company's “Bar Bar,” a selection of bite-size brownies, blondies, and dessert bars in flavors such as peanut pretzel, Oreo cheesecake, and apple crumb displayed in repurposed desktop file sorters.

Photo: Jenny Anderson
Abby Larson, the woman behind cult wedding blog Style Me Pretty, has released her first book, Style Me Pretty Weddings (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, $30), which outlines some of the most popular wedding style trends.
Abby Larson, the woman behind cult wedding blog Style Me Pretty, has released her first book, Style Me Pretty Weddings (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, $30), which outlines some of the most popular wedding style trends.
Photo: Courtesy of Clarkson Potter/Publishers
Rustic Glamour
Rustic Glamour
"Sweet, simply styled rustic weddings are in large part what helped put wedding blogs on the map," writes Larson of the popular look, adding that the latest way of approaching the now-iconic style is by juxtaposing homespun elements, such as burlap and farm tables, with opulent details, such as high-end china and gold-rimmed stemware.
Photo: Courtesy of Clarkson Potter/Publishers
Organic Modernism
Organic Modernism
"Modern means 'minimal' in my book," writes Larson. "Clean lines, simple color palettes (whether bold or demure), repetition in pattern and style." Often spotted at modern, organically styled weddings, succulents are a wildly popular wedding centerpiece trend. Larson recommends pairing a succulent table runner with white square chargers and simple cutlery for an understated vibe.
Photo: Courtesy of Clarkson Potter/Publishers
Whimsical
Whimsical
"Officially my new favorite breed of wedding is the whimsical wedding," writes Larson. "Whimsy means you can really play with your design and add spunk in the most unexpected places." Case in point: embroidering guests' names onto inexpensive white napkins embellished with colorful pom-poms and grosgrain ribbon.
Photo: Courtesy of Clarkson Potter/Publishers
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