Event branding isn’t just for big corporate conferences or launches anymore. Even small scale events are getting in on the branding action and this year the trend of branding your events is set to sky rocket. From a bar mitzvah to a global launch, creating a visual language to accompany your event is a fantastic way to set your event apart from the crowd and give your guests a memorable experience. Here are two simple ways to brand your next event:

Hashtags

It’s not all about coming up with a great logo and sticking it on every aspect of your event. In fact, that’s no longer the way to go about it. Today, most companies like to include hashtags into their branding and this tech trick works wonders for any size event. Creating a specific hashtag to be used across multiple social media platforms allows you to gather every photo, video or post about your event in seconds and give you a great idea about how your event went down.

But why is this important for small scale, personal events?

Well,  hiring an event photographer is one thing, but taking a look through your guests own experiences of your event is a great way to get free, fun media from your event and gives everyone a chance to check it out online. All this requires is a unique hashtag (for example. #BillSmithTurns40 or #McDonaldsLaunch2014) and making sure your guests are aware of the hashtag. You can even urge them to make use of the hashtag when posting their photos, videos and status’ by including it in the invitation, on tables, tags or a sticker on the bathroom mirror (don’t underestimate the power of a selfie).

Logo

Now let’s get back to basics. Branding is more often than not the creation of a logo. A sexy logo can go a long way towards communicating the right tone of your event. And it doesn’t have to cost you an arm or a leg. If you don’t have a graphic designer in your team, you can easily hire one online through the many graphic design websites around. You can even try your hand at creating one yourself through online editors. All in all, if you don’t already have a logo or you’d like your event to have a unique logo, creating one is not as complicated or expensive as it may seem, and it can make your event look professional and sophisticated.

Once you have a logo, make sure to include it on invitations, tickets, flyers, websites, press releases and any promotional products or treats you’re giving away. Want to pump up your dessert? Put your unique logo on cupcakes. Want to stand out from the crowd? Think of new and innovative ways to place your logo and hashtag in surprising places around your event.

Don’t overdo it!

I’m sure you’ve been to an event and felt like you were being bombarded with logos, company slogans and hashtags. It’s a common mistake to paste your branding in every aspect of your event, and although this is expected, you can definitely overdo it. Try to avoid the places where branding is usually found, as people have become so accustomed to it that they don’t even notice it anymore. Clever, sneaky branding goes a long way to setting your event apart from the rest so spend some time on it. A good brainstorming session is all that’s needed!  

Planning an excellent event takes skill, organization, experience and an unrivaled love for the industry. Most event designers have a certain way of doing things, a production process that’s almost always unique to their company. Here at Track Seven Events we too have a unique way of doing things and we’d like to share our process with you guys. Whether you’re planning your own event or wondering how it works when you hire an events company, here’s our seven step process to planning a successful event: 

We Listen

This is perhaps the most important step in the process and it involves connecting with the client and listening to their needs, wants and desires. Creating an event that brings our client’s imagination to life is what we specialize in and there’s no better way to do that than to sit down with our client and find out exactly what they want. 

Concept & Theme

Once we’ve got the foundation ideas for the event, it’s time to brainstorm. Our team comes up with a list of creative ideas and concepts centered on the client’s vision. This is how we develop the theme and concept for the event, and it involved lots of coffee and long nights. 

Estimate

Now it’s time to crunch some numbers. We take the client’s budget into account and create an estimated cost for the event. This ensures there are no surprises waiting for the client when our bill arrives and it helps us set limits and priorities. 

Venue

This part of the event planning process is a bit like a scavenger hunt for the ideal venue that fits into a list of criteria, including availability, costs, size etc. We then compile a list of venues that work to give the client some options. 

Design

This is something Track Seven Events prides itself on and is another service that allows us to stand out from the crowd of event designers. We design the layout for the event and draw up a rendering so our client gets to see the look and feel we’ve designed before we start production. This allows us to still change and tweak a few things before kicking off production. 

Production

The production process is really where our talented team shines. We create décor, materials and take a look in our storeroom through the many props collected over the years for something that will make the event pop. Then it’s time to lay it all out and transform an empty space into something wonderful. This is where the magic happens!

Execution

It’s crunch time! We compile a very detailed production schedule and ensure that every aspect of the event runs smoothly, from load-in to guest list to catering and more, our production team has it covered. 

Not everyone gets to travel the world like they’d like. In fact, many people haven’t even left the county. That’s one of the reasons why throwing a destination-themed event this year, might just be the best idea you’ve ever had. 

People love to experience new and different places but with the current state of the economy, travelling is almost impossible for most. Centering your next event on an interesting and exotic destination will bring your guests that jolt of culture and excitement that’s usually lacking. The possibilities for these kinds of events are endless. These themes can be adapted to any sort of event, be it a bar mitzvah, birthday, convention or conference. 

Worried about putting together an event that’s “all been done before”? Choosing a theme that’s popular doesn’t necessarily mean your event will be outdated or lack authenticity. With a little bit of creativity and resourcefulness, you can make your destination-themed event your own by injecting some personality in it and doing some research. Destination-themed events aren’t all about the décor, but it is a major aspect in “transporting” your guests for the evening. 

If you’re considering a destination-themed event and need some inspiration, here’s a few tips out of our gallery to help your creativity flow: 

It’s 2014 and it’s time to make your next event the best one yet. That task is always a daunting one, but no one said you aren’t allowed a little help. New and innovative event startup companies pop up almost every month. Some of them may still need some time to get their business’ really moving, but some of them are on point and could help propel your next event to all the goals you’ve been dying to beat, so grab a cup of coffee and let us introduce you to the 5 Event Startups You Should Try at Your Next Event:

Evvnt - CLICK ME

evvnt is an online service that submits your event to tons of the RIGHT event sites. They offer a variety of different packages and can get your event advertised to the people that are most likely to attend. It’s a fantastic way to advertise your event, small or big.

ScheduleHead - CLICK ME

If you’re planning on managing staff and shifts at your next event, ScheduleHead will make your job much easier. They even offer an SMS notification system, where staff is sent text messages at the beginning of their shifts to ensure no confusion, chaos and understaffed events.

Livecube - CLICK ME

If you’re hosting an event in the hopes of achieving attendee engagement, here’s your golden key. This is a fantastic app for conferences, festivals or week-long corporate events. It’ll encourage your attendees to engage will your event via their app and earn rewards. It’s fun, it’s fresh and everyone at your event will love it.

TableCrowd - CLICK ME

TableCrowd is essentially a social dining app that lets your guests create tables or crowds and connect through this digital world. We can see this working at Bar Mitzvah’s, weddings and 21st, or even at bigger events. It’s just another way for people to connect and share the experiences of your event. Fantastic!

PickEvent - CLICK ME

PickEvent is a wonderful event community that allows you to “pick” the events you attend and keep an event CV. It’s also closely related to your LinkedIn profile and lets you join relative networks and groups. It’s great for event discovery and tracking the events you attend.