Month: June 2016
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup: 7/1/16 – 7/3/16
July is already upon us and it’s almost the weekend! We hope you are just as excited as we are for Independence Day on Monday, and ABCey has you covered with all of your 4th of July events coming soon! Until then, make the most of your weekend and check out these fun Bay Area events!
1. Alameda County Fair
Fri. July 1st – Mon. July 4th, 2016| 11am-11pm |prices vary| 4501 Pleasanton Ave. Pleasanton, CA
If you haven’t gone to the fair yet, GO! This fair is a must-see attraction for everyone! For kids, there is a children’s park, adventure park, petting zoo, ferris wheel, and carnival. Adults can be entertained with horse races, a beer garden, a wine bar, shopping areas, and live concerts. There are only 4 more days til’ the fair is over, so come check it out before it’s too late!
2. 32nd Annual Fillmore Jazz Festival
Sat July 2nd & Sun July 3rd, 2016 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Fillmore St.–Jackson to Eddy St, San Francisco
Enjoy two days of music, food, art, and fun at the Fillmore Jazz Festival! This festival takes over more than 12 blocks and has every kind of food and craft imaginable. With 32 years under its belt, this festival has become incredibly popular and the largest free jazz festival on the West Coast. Join the other 100,000 people who attend this event and jazz up your weekend!
3. Golden Gate Park: Guided Trail and Nature Walk
Sat. July 2nd, 2016 | 10am-12pm | FREE | Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Experience nature this weekend and take a guided tour through Golden Gate Park. This guided tour is free and a perfect way to collect your thoughts while getting fit! With your own personal tour guide, you can learn all about the park, plants, and wildlife. So get out and enjoy the great outdoors with a nice stroll!
4. Free Opera at the Ballpark: Carmen
Sat. July 2nd, 2016 | 7:30pm | FREE, RSVP for Early Entry Tickets | AT&T Park; 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco
Mix things up this weekend by seeing a play…a free play! This Saturday, the San Francisco Opera is hosting a live simulcast and projecting their current play, Carmen, on AT&T Park’s huge video screen. You will definitely be entertained by Carmen, a femme fatale play with jealousy, danger, love and murder. Head out to the ball park to watch this captivating play and a special pre-show and intermission with the other 30,000 attendees!
5. Off the Grid: Presidio Picnic & Food Truck Party
Sun. July 3rd, 2016 | 11am-4pm | FREE | 103 Montgomery Street, Main Post, Presidio, San Francisco
This year, Off the Grid has revamped their picnic and food truck event held in Presidio Park. They now have over the 30 food and beverage trucks, free yoga classes, games, and music! You can also get clothes and accessories at their mobile shop, produce from their market, and help planning your next activity in San Francisco. There are also FREE shuttles, PresidiGo, that travel to Embarcadero BART, certain SF streets, MUNI, and around the park. Don’t miss the chance to relax on the grass field and enjoy great food and company!
Extra Event: Marin County Fair Fireworks and S’more Feast
Fri. July 1st, 2016 | 8:30pm – 10:00pm | FREE | McInnis Park: 310 Smith Ranch Road, San Rafael, CA
Because this weekend is so jam packed, we have one more event that will get you in the mood for July 4th! Friday at McInnis Park, park rangers will have yummy s’mores to eat right before you walk to the top of the Nike Site to watch the 9:30pm Marin County Fair fireworks show. Fireworks are always fun especially with s’mores and tomorrow you can get both for free!
What are you planning on doing this weekend? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
DIY: 4th Of July Party Decor
The 4th of July is just around the corner, which means it’s time for grilling out, chilling out, and celebrating one of the best days of the year! ABCey Events has 5 easy DIY ideas to get you party ready for the upcoming holiday weekend.
Center Pieces
1) Center pieces are a necessity to make any great theme party shine. Nothing screams summer quite like a mason jar does, so these easy to make, adorable center pieces are sure to make your party sparkle for the 4th! Check out how to make them here.
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2) Extra bottles laying around? We have your solution! This DIY is super easy and will no doubt give your 4th of July party the extra pop you’ve been looking for. Using wine bottles for a decoration? No complaints here! Be sure to find out how to make these adorable center pieces here.
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Door Decor
3) Make sure that your guests feel welcome upon arrival with these festive wreaths to hang on your front door! These are inexpensive to make and only require 3 materials- talk about an ideal DIY! You can find out how to make these here.
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4) Burlap wreath not your style? No worries- we’ve got back up options to make sure your guests are greeted in style at your front door. These awesome patriotic wreaths are easy to make and oh so chic! Don’t miss out on this great door dec, find out to make these here.
4th of July Photo Backdrop
5) ABCey knows no party is complete without that perfect Instagram picture. This simple DIY scrap flag is the ideal backdrop for guests to take photos at your 4th of July party! What better way to celebrate the 4th than by taking fun, festive photos with your pals? Read more on how to make these here!
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Wall Decor
6) Kites are a true symbol of summer time and can take anyone back to their childhood. This easy DIY kite garland is guaranteed to spruce up your wall space at your 4th of July get together! See here to find out how to make these kites the star of your party!
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7) If you need to primp up those white walls before you host your 4th of July party this weekend, these will definitely do the trick! This American flag painted window is the extra festive touch you need to make sure your July 4th party is one to remember. Check out how to make these here!
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Festive Table Decorations
8) Need some extra 4th of July table decor for your event? These simplistic and festive signs add some patriotic pride to your upcoming independence day party! Find out to to make these here.
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9) Nothing says festive fun quite like these darling red, white and blue inspired pin wheels! These are perfect for adding a little extra flare to your snack tables for the 4th. You can find out how to make these simple decorations here!
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4th of July Luminaries
10) Light up your 4th of july party with these adorable patriotic luminaries! This DIY is super simple and uses recycled jars as the main material- easy and green! Don’t miss out on the chance to illuminate your party, and find out how to do these here!
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Will you use any of these fun and creative DIY’s for your 4th of July party? ABCey wants to know your faves, or ones we missed! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and on Twitter.
#TechTuesday: Oculus Rift For Your Next Event
#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming technologies for their innovative ideas and impact on the event world!
Are you watching an event or hosting a virtual business meeting? You might wonder, “Where’s the interaction? I feel as if I’m barely there!” Well, that may change soon as Oculus VR, whom produces Oculus Rift, is pushing to provide consumers affordable virtual reality. Oculus Rift is a headset that provides users the ability to be immersified into virtual reality, and will serve as a means to offer something new and immersive to live audiences. Why not feel as if you are actually there to obtain a better experience?
Despite Oculus Rift being advertised for the gaming community, it has been successfully able to extend to other areas, one being EVENTS! With the inclusion of videos and other social features, the potential is vast!
The sky’s the limit with Oculus Rift!
Many large events have often had trouble with increasing the venue size with the surplus of attendees.
Well, no longer! Oculus Rift allows visitor numbers to increase with no limit as visitors attend the event online. This boosts the attendance rate and can provide an unforgettable experience for everyone.
What should you know to prepare for such an awesome technology?
CieEvents proposes that the event management team should be aware that there may be some work involved in order to have stable and accessible virtual reality throughout the event. With both live and virtual attendance, host companies may go all in with their event budget, implementing more massive and engaging events.
How it works:
After purchasing Oculus Rift, set up the hardware by plugging in all of the required adapters and wires. Users may then install any software needed from the Oculus Website. After completing the installation, restart the computer. Any games or applications that is in the Oculus Store may be purchased on the website. The user is now able to set his/her headset to delve into virtual reality.
Why we love it:
Oculus Rift grants exciting technology for the future. It would not only allow people to feel more of a connection to the event, but also provides an enhanced experience. This is not a typical event/meeting that the user would experience. It would feel more real enhancing your visual senses!
What are your thoughts on Oculus Rift? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!
#TechTuesday: 5 ways to use drones for events
#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming technologies for their innovative ideas and impact on the event world. ABCey has compiled 5 innovative ways event planners are utilizing drones!
Although they were first used for military purposes, drones are becoming extremely useful tools for the event planning industry. Drones are not only used to capture stunning aerial images, but also in previously unimaginable ways that go beyond just pictures and videos. Here are 5 great ways to use drones for your next event!
1. Aerial Event Photos and Videos
Drones are now a popular tool for event planners, because they can capture amazing aerial footage from an infinite number of angles. They are also extremely versatile and can be used at conferences, trade shows, galas, festivals, and sporting events! This tech allows for extraordinary 360 degree views of all attendees, as well as close ups of speakers and performances.
2. Choosing the Perfect Venue/Site Selection
Drones can also be used for pre-event prep to collect venue images. Photos and videos make it so easy for clients and planners to choose the perfect site for an event! From images of massive event properties to inside meeting rooms, there is almost no place a drone can’t fly!
3. Entertainment Drones to Wow Your Guests
Companies have outdone themselves by using drones as a new form of entertainment for their guests! Intel is one company that impressed their guests and set the world record by having 100 drones create a unique light show! Others, like Amsterdam Drone Entertainment, have programmed their drones to dance for crowds which has truly set a new standard for event entertainment!
4. The Best Delivery Service
Some other ways to use a drone? How about deliver food, drinks and invitations! This interactive way of distributing items to people is mostly used by restaurants to give food to their customers. But, this kind of delivery service can just as easily be adapted to fit the event industry’s needs. Using a drone to deliver items to guests is extremely innovative, interactive, and a great way to make your event stand out!
5. Extra $ From Advertising and Sponsors
Drones can also be lucrative for your business! If you are hosting an event, sponsors may offer to pay you if you use drones to promote their business. Attendees are often drawn to drone tech which is seen as a great opportunity for companies to advertise. Because drones can drop off samples/products, hold up company posters, and display a brand logo, they are becoming the newest advertising trend!
Apps are also being made and adapted to incorporate drone technology. Facebook recently announced they have updated their live video stream application, Facebook Live. This update allows users to stream videos live from a drone. Twitter‘s similar live video streaming application, Periscope, also announced this feature.
By capturing stunning footage, helping venue selection, entertaining and serving their guests, delivering items, and increasing revenue and an event’s wow factor, drones are the new must-have gadget for anyone in the event industry!
Know any other ways drones are used? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and on Twitter!
Startup Monday: Zenefits
Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events!
In light of a lot of recent difficult press, ABCey still has high hopes that Zenefits can overcome these growing pains! Zenefits is working to bring attention to what has made their products so appealing in the first place: Shopping for health insurance is really frustrating!! As a business owner, what do you use to organize your employees health insurance, payroll, FSA, 401k, and other HR tasks? Are you spending lots of money in your HR department or doing these tedious tasks yourself? Look no further, Zenefits can help solve your problem.
How it works:
Although Zenefits mostly focuses on health insurance, this software is used by more than 20,000 businesses to streamline HR systems. Instead of using multiple different programs for tracking employees health insurance, payroll, 401k, FSA, contractors, etc., this startup helps small businesses by bundling all of these systems into one easy to use software.
With this platform, you are able to track:
- Benefits/Insurance
- HR Management
- ACA Compliance
- Payroll
- Time & Attendance
- PTO
- and more!
Why we love it:
Zenefits has great benefits! It is an all in one platform that makes managing administrative tasks a breeze. The program is easy to set up, eliminates tedious paperwork and the costs of hiring HR employees! We also love the changes that Zenefits is making including a new CEO, who is determined to change the company in a drastic way. Like Zappos, they have recently scaled down their employees to ensure that everyone is 100% invested in the company. With the new direction their company is taking, Zenefits has a bright future!
Planning on using this amazing platform for your team? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 6/24/16-6/26/16
Summer has finally arrived! What better way to celebrate than by getting out and enjoying the beautiful Bay Area? ABCey Events has got you covered with what’s going on this weekend!
1) Friday Nights At The De Young: Dance-Off Hip-Hop
Friday June 24th | 5:00pm-8:45 pm | de Young Museum | FREE
Dance your way into the weekend with this dance-off hip-hop themed event happening at the de Young Museum Friday night starting at 5pm. In addition to showing off your best moves, the observation tower will be open until 8pm to see spectacular views of San Francisco. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to show everyone the hip hop guru you really are!
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2) San Francisco Pride Festival
Saturday June 25th, Noon-6pm | Sunday June 26th 10:30am-6pm | Civic Center Plaza & along Market St. | FREE
Head into the heart of San Francisco this weekend for the best of local musical talent and cultural performances. The San Francisco Pride event is home to over 20 community-run stages and venues. What better way to experience the city and see firsthand the amazing diversity of the LGBT community in San Francisco?
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3) San Francisco 240th Birthday Celebration
Saturday June 25th | 10:30-Noon | Presidio | FREE
This Saturday at the Pershing Square in the Presidio there will be a celebration for the wonderful city of San Francisco! In 1775-1776, 240 colonists traveled from what is present day Mexico and founded the Presidio of San Francisco. We have them to thank for their new cultural ideas and era of California history! Come and join the recognition of their incredible journey.
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4) Treasure Island “Summer Flea” Festival
Sunday June 26th | All Day | Treasure Island | $3
Don’t miss out on this modernized market that is home to around 400-curated vendors every month. Vendors sell everything from originally made and designed items, to art and vintage collections. If those weren’t enough to get you excited about this great event, there will also be over 15 food trucks to satisfy all your cravings while you shop! So come out and enjoy the summer while getting spectacular views of downtown San Francisco. What more could you ask for?
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5) George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic: Outdoor Concert
Sunday June 26th | 2pm | San Francisco | FREE
Come and be a part of the tradition that has been going strong since 1938! The Stern Grove festival throws free concerts in the park every summer- Free outdoor music? Count us in! Finish out your weekend in this stunning park setting and watch performers such as George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Get in on the fun this Sunday starting at 2pm!
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Have special plans for this weekend? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!