TaylorMade 2¢

July 31, 2014
in Above and Beyond, Lessons Learned, TaylorMade Best Practices

As the fall season of events approaches, it’s important to appreciate those who helped you achieve your event’s success, and amongst the mountain of wrap-up post-event, remembering to express gratitude and appreciation by saying “thank you” is an important post-event to do item. It sounds like a simple reminder, but it is often a forgotten art. Public thank you’s to donors, sponsors and guests is certainly well-deserved and should be a priority, but don’t forget to thank the rest of the team that put in a great effort. For any event...

July 22, 2014
in Events, Social Media, TaylorMade Best Practices

Think back to English class in grade school. You may remember hearing some form of litany from your teacher on the “5 W’s” of good writing and he or she might even have thrown in an “H” for good measure. Hopefully those lessons stuck with you, because we’re going to use them today to share our brief commentary on the intersection of audience engagement and social media. What? Interaction, engagement, excitement, enthusiasm, camaraderie – these are all words that could be used to describe the vibrant nature of well planned events.  What...

June 27, 2014
in Lessons Learned, TaylorMade Best Practices

As one of the biggest sporting events in the world is taking place, many of you are no doubt following the drama and excitement of the FIFA World Cup this month. Our TME staff is proudly supporting the USA national team. As I’ve been watching the games, I have seen several parallel lessons, a few of which I have outlined below, that can be appropriately applied to organizations – small and large, for profit and non-profit alike. Plan ahead – strategically. These athletes prepare for years for this opportunity; for many...

June 16, 2014
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

Are you keeping your attendees well fed? Do you make the right choices for menus so that you have healthy and tasty options? Our TME team is very good at making sure we are well fed. This is in part due to our staff member, Stephanie, who can sometimes fit the description of hangry. Thankfully, we’ve always been able to feed her before the darker emotions start bubbling up. However, it brings to light an excellent point that must be considered for any event: the provision of food. Today’s post is a...

June 2, 2014
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices, Tips for Nonprofit Fundraising

In some cases, fundraising may be no more than a clumsy ask for money. It can be difficult responsibility for the asker as the conversation requires a clear and definite request that must be presented firmly but politely. And if that wasn’t enough, fundraising can take place through a myriad of methods. Some common ways are through online donations, annual campaigns, event sponsorships, onsite giving at an event, and silent or live auctions. Done well, fundraising can be immensely beneficial to an organization and well worth the potential headache. At its...

May 1, 2014
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

What’s an event without a great space to hold it? Indoors, outdoors, on a boat or in an exclusive new hotspot in the city, your chosen event venue sets the overall tone, adding character, ambiance, and excitement to your event. Certainly the above factors are important when selecting a venue, but there is so much more that must be considered. In our years of experience, we have seen an array of issues arise with potential locations.  But I have good news! Many of these issues can be mitigated by proper planning...

February 19, 2014
in The TME Team

Hey Y’all! I’m Kelly Schricker, and I’m proud to announce that I am the new Event Manager at TaylorMade Experience! For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to plan events. Though, until I tried, I didn’t realize that event management was a viable career option. Determined to follow my dream, I relocated to a market I thought would be full of event opportunities, Honolulu, Hawaii (I swear the beach had nothing to do with this choice). Shortly thereafter, I landed myself a great job and joined several non-profit groups that happened...

February 13, 2014
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

If you’re here in the D.C. Metro area with us this week, you’re liking seeing the same thing that we’re seeing: white.  Specifically, a white blanket of winter wonderland that wafted in from the south. While the snow is quite beautiful, it also wreaks havoc on what Robert Burns dubbed as  “the best laid plans.” Given that it’s Valentine’s Day weekend, I would venture to say that quite a few plans have been made. And certainly a number of events were planned in the city as well, including an event that...

January 27, 2014
in Above and Beyond, Culture, The TME Team

Hello again! I am now three-quarters of the way done with my MBA at American University’s Kogod School of Business, and happily the newest full-time employee at TaylorMade Experience. Something that has been stressed to me over and over again at school is the importance of culture at work. Different cultures work well for different organizations, and some cultures don’t really work at all. Over the last six months, I have observed first-hand how the values embedded in the TME culture are what make the company one that is excellent both internally and...

January 20, 2014
in Above and Beyond, Culture, Events, Lessons Learned, TaylorMade Best Practices, The TME Team

Experience is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the process of doing and seeing things and of having things happen to you.” Who doesn’t want to have a fun and exciting experience? And we know that you want to create a unique, exceptional and flawless event to engage your guests and keep them coming back. In order to ensure such quality at our events, TME has the following "Company Rules:" I don’t know is not an answer! Instead of saying we can’t do something, we find a way to make it happen. And when...