TaylorMade 2¢

June 21, 2016
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

One of the most valuable assets in an event manager’s repertoire is comprehensive knowledge of venues.  We know all the best places and spaces to host a spectacular event -- whether it's a non-profit fundraiser or a corporate expo. So, if you're looking for one of the best venues in the greater Washington DC area for your next event, we've got you covered. The TaylorMade Experience (TME) team recently toured some of DC's most notable and sophisticated event spaces and we're eager to share what we learned. Below are our thoughts,...

June 8, 2016
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

Chances are you’ve experienced some kind of event gamification in the past. You might have seen it through an event scavenger hunt, or maybe it made a more subtle appearance through a Leaderboard of the “Top Social Media Posters” on an event’s social wall. We’ve already shared our two cents on how gamification can be a tool to increase event attendance, but the trend is also useful in other ways. Through gamification, you can make your event more interactive, inclusive, and instructive for your guests—and more informative for you. 1. Get...

May 3, 2016
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

In the realm of event consulting, the word “attrition” holds a ton of weight. The standard definition of the word is “the action of gradually reducing the strength of something through sustained pressure.” For event consultants, it it’s the percentage of registrants that we can expect will not attend an event. Unfortunately, no-shows are nearly guaranteed, but there are steps you can take to decrease your expected attrition. Follow our tips to ensure that your RSVP’d guests actually attend your event. Consistent Communication Early RSVP’s are some of the easiest to lose. A...

March 31, 2016
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

Annual conferences are a great way to facilitate networking and cultivate learning among industry professionals, but events like these can get stale over time. The biggest mistake a conference host can make is to use the same event formula each year—no one wants to attend a conference when there is nothing new to learn or hear. Keep your conference attendees engaged, and your agenda fresh by incorporating the following tips. Refresh your content Conferences come in all shapes and sizes, but the most important aspect of creating a fresh event is to refresh...

March 3, 2016
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

With so many moving pieces, an event is a breeding ground for miscommunications—and these types of errors can be costly to businesses. According to this Holmes Report, companies experience an estimated $37 billion in losses as a result of employee misunderstanding. That’s a whole lot of money that could easily be saved with better communication. Overall, effective communication can prevent common problems in every aspect of business—especially with the event planning process. If you want to make sure your message is getting across—and that your events are running according to plan—try...

February 25, 2016
in TaylorMade Best Practices, Tips for Nonprofit Fundraising

An event auction is a fantastic way to raise funds. Sponsors and vendors can donate must-have prizes, attendees will feel good about donating to the cause while trying to take home some new treasures, and your event will raise funds in the process—everyone wins! But while auctions are a go-to event fundraising activity, they can easily get out of control. Over the years, we’ve learned exactly what works and what doesn’t—here are just a few of the do’s and don’ts we’ve learned firsthand: DO have a live auction with a solid plan...

February 4, 2016
in TaylorMade Best Practices

As a kid, receiving a goodie bag was the highlight of any birthday party or event. Now that we’re adults, the same is true for swag bags at a conference, gala or similar event. People of all ages love to get useful items as a parting gift from a memorable event—and these giveaway items will help your guests remember you, your company, and the event for years to come! In fact, I still have an amazing engraved silver pen that was in one of my swag bags once upon a time—and...

December 29, 2015
in Culture, Lessons Learned, The TME Team

As we say goodbye to 2015 and welcome in the New Year, we love to take this time to acknowledge and appreciate everything we have in our lives. The sentiment of giving thanks is very important to us, and it’s something that we’ve made a cornerstone of TaylorMade Experience. In fact, we do a bunch of things to express gratitude throughout the year, including: We bring treats to meetings to surprise our clients with something sweet! We always send handwritten thank-you notes and a thank-you gift following a big project...

December 3, 2015
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

When the event is over, the work is far from done. Any event manager worth their salt knows there’s still plenty left to do after the guests have said their final goodnight. We’ve spent many years managing events, and the experience has left us with a solid after-event game plan. This game plan has helped us manage many excellent events and still stay upbeat and positive for the next one. Want in on our MUST do list? Check it out: Clean up – literally After the event has ended, there’s always stuff to be...

November 19, 2015
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

We’re so glad the dark days in event management are behind us—days filled with printed stacks of registration lists and hours spent sifting through these lists to find event attendees’ names. As a result of all that paper shuffling, there was always a bottleneck of frustrated attendees waiting to check in at registration. Now with the use of on-site event registration technology, all we need to do is type in the first few letters of a name and an attendee’s name will pop right up on our iPad. We can edit...