Month: July 2016
ABCey’s Weekend Event Lineup: 7/15/16-7/17/16
It’s hard to believe we are already half way through July, where has the time gone? ABCey Events is here to help you make the most of what is left of July with our Weekend Event Lineup!
1) GlowCon Weekend Event| 7/16/16 | NWBLK | Sat. 2pm-2am | $25-$50 |
No Plans this Saturday? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! This awesome event is the newest type of convention that celebrates all things glow! This one part convention, one part party is one day that will be entirely lit. During the day you have the opportunity to listen to LED talks that discuss the future of glow. DJ’s will be playing through the night while performers like Dance, Flow, and Saber Battle entertain you until dawn! Dancing not your thing-not to worry, this event has something for everyone! Check out some of the latest virtual reality and 3D light projection inventions instead! You don’t want to miss out on this event, so don’t forget to preregister here for the best price!
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2) Shape Tech Expo 2016: Jared Leto, Nate Silver & Silversun Pickups | AT&T Park| Sat. 7/16/16 | All Day | FREE
Calling all SF techies- this event is for you! Come out to the beautiful AT&T Park this Saturday where you can browse over 50 tech exhibits, explore smart cities, robots,virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. You will also have the opportunity to listen to Jared Leto and Nate Silver discuss their visions on what might be in hold for the future! There will be a Saturday Night concert with the Silversun Pickups you don’t want to miss!
3) Dolores Park Banger Weekend Event | Sat. 7/16/16 | 11am-2am | FREE |
Who doesn’t love a good outdoor party…especially one in the beautiful Dolores Park! Its time to celebrate the best day of the weekend with some fun under the sun. So grab a few of your pals and come out this Saturday for an all day awesome party!
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4) Pokemon Go ‘Ocean Beach Chalet’ Meet-up | Sat. 7/16/16| 5pm | FREE
With Pokemon Go being the new fad sweeping the nation, why not meet up with other Pokemoner’s this Saturday? Head out to The Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant for a fun day full of Pokemon Hunting! If you gotta’ catch em’ all-this is the event for you!
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5) National Ice Cream Day Festival | Sun. 7/19/16 | 11:00am-5:00pm | SoMa| $5
This just might be the best event we’ve seen all summer! No better way to close out the weekend than with an all day ice cream festival-right? There will be over 15 Ice Cream vendors to serve up the frozen treat just the way you like it. And no worries, you can dance off your sugar rush with DJ Dysco Lyft, who will be spinning at the event! The first 200 people to RSVP here will receive FREE admission-so don’t wait! This is one festival you don’t want to miss!
Let us know what your weekend plans are in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
10 Ideas For Your Perfect Pineapple Themed Party!
Theme parties are always fun, and who knew the pineapple trend would last this long?! Coming up with a new idea or finding the right decor can be stressful, so ABCey is here to help! Here are 10 great ideas to help you plan the perfect pineapple party!
1. Pineapples Centerpieces:
Go figure, pineapples also make great centerpieces! Simply hallow it out and add some beautiful flowers.
2. DIY Pineapple Pinecones
Can’t find any real pineapples? Don’t worry, we have solutions! Find some pinecones to paint yellow, place some green construction paper on top and there you go! Learn to make these pinecone/apples here.
3. Tissue Paper Pineapples
If you are feeling even more artsy, you can make these fun tissue decor. All you need is yellow tissue paper, green paper, and some glue. Set these DIY pineapples on a table, and you’re all set!
4. Painted Decor:
Turn your plain pineapples into colorful decorative pieces by painting the green stems OR spray paint them a dazzling color (like gold shown blow), add some sparkly glitter, and watch your decor shine!
5. Balloons
Want something even simpler? Turn a balloon into perfectly themed decoration by taping zigzagged green paper on top of yellow balloons. There you have it, great decor in seconds!
If you’re in rush and there’s no time for a DIY, you can always find pre-made balloons! Bring more of the theme to your party with these pineapple shaped balloons or add a stylish twist with these white and gold balloons. Any option will make your party pop, literally!
6. String Lights
Decorate your walls or brighten up your backyard sky with these fun lights! Hang these pineapple lantern string lights and watch your party glow!
7. Banners
Cover your walls or fence with these gold green and glitter garland to ensure your decorations are top notch!
8. Pineapple Confetti Sprinkle some confetti on your F&B table, and you’ll have that little something extra to impress your guests! We suggest these.
9. Tableware:
Drink in style with these vibrant themed shaped cups or these fun Party Like a Pineapple cups!
10. Pineapple Straws
Keep the theme going all the way down to the straws! Turn regular straws into festive ones with these DIY origami add-ons.
Are you ready for your pineapple themed party? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
#TechTuesday: 5 Creative Ways To Use Robots at 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!
The future of event tech and entertainment is here: Robots! Don’t worry, these robots won’t turn evil like the ones in science fiction movies. Instead, they are the new tool for event planners! From robotic bartenders and mobile telepresence to self service holograms, these robots can be used for product demos, corporate speeches, trade stand activations, corporate parties and as the central figure of bigger productions!
Here are 5 creative ways to use robots for your next event:
1. Entertainment
Come one and come all to see Titan the Robot! Titan the robot has been described as “crowdpulling“, “hysterically funny” and even “surprassing all expectations“. Titan’s a magnet for people and you definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on all the coverage. 
2.Mobile Telepresence
Are some attendees or important management staff not able to make the event? No problem! With Double Robotics, they are able to attend without physically being there. Just hop on skype, attach a tablet onto the dolly and you can start roving around the venue. 
3. Interactive Self-Service Holograms
Holograms may look real, but looks can be deceiving! A company called Prsonas creates self-service holograms that provide information as well as interact with guests. You just have to load up FAQs, event descriptions or anything else that you would like into the program! 
4. Robotic Bartender
Fill my event with booze! Sure thing, but let’s have a robotic bartender serve it up! Robotic bartenders are not only able to mix drinks in a matter of seconds, but it’s also just plain cool for you to see a robot moving around and concocting yumminess. A few innovative companies that we love are Inebriator and Makr Shakr…be sure to check them out for your next event!
5. Photo Booth
Make your event memorable with RobotBooth! RobotBooth was designed to reflect quality, and it certainly does! Using an algorithm for the software, RobotBooth is able to adjust lighting aspects and other photography techniques to create stunning pictures. You won’t need to worry about getting the perfect angle or lighting anymore! Plus, you get unlimited pictures as souvenirs.
Robots are the tech of the future, and we’re loving all the ways we can use them for our events! We’re excited to see how they can make increase the success of an event, or enhance the guest experience. They may even be able to cut down transportation and labor costs! Will you be bringing in robots to your next event? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Startup Monday: Streak – CRM In Your Inbox
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 some work environments, employees live and breathe within their email inboxes. They use multiple apps or platforms to stay organized, and it becomes overwhelming. Well no more!Streak was created to integrate all the tools you need to manage relations within your work environment. Here at ABCey, some of our favorite features are email snooze, thread splitter, send later, and CRM for Dealflow!
Email Snooze
Clean up your email inbox by using the email snooze feature! We’re not letting your emails rest forever. Sometimes we have emails just sitting around waiting for a reply. To the eye, an email sitting around confuses you of your priorities. So let your emails go on “snooze” and it’ll pop back up later! In case your client is emailing you a list of items that they need or want, you won’t need to hear each and every notification. Hint: You can adjust the scheduled time.
Thread Splitter
Need to send the same thing to several people at once? Skip the copy and paste and just check each person off. A great example of this would be sending any pricing information or venue spaces to potential clients. Also no need to individually look for each email to send to about the information. Streak already does that for you!
Send Later
Plan your emails ahead! With “send later”, emails are able to be scheduled on a specific date and time. Just sit back, relax, and know that you’ve got your emails handled since your emails will automatically send. This is especially useful when trying to contact clients at certain times of if an email needs to be sent at a certain time!
CRM for Dealflow
In streak, they have what you call a pipeline. A pipeline contains all of the categories holding various types of coversations in your inbox (Ex below. Lead, Met With, Pitched, Team Sheet). All your emails are now in one and no need to switch from tab to tab. Event Planners are able to have their organizing pet peeves satisfied and everything is labeled and ready. With Streak, share emails easily, stay in touch effortlessly, and keep your leads warm for potential clients. You can also replace your external spreadsheets as well as highlight important deals with the CRM function of Streak.
With Streak’s flexible structure, it is definitely a multi-purposeful, google integrated service that is easy on IT. Streak helps to promote simple collaboration and is based in cloud. There’s no need to worry about data getting lost!
Do you use Streak? Tell us why in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
10 Ways to Use Snapchat For Events
Here at ABCey, we like to keep up with all the latest tech trends. As Snapchat has arguably become the most popular social network among teens and millennials, we’ve caught on to the idea that it can be used for event marketing, to enhance guest experience, provide event messaging, and even promote your speakers or sponsors. Here are 10 ways to use Snapchat for your next event using geofilters, ads, lenses and more!
*A snapchat account is needed in order to post stories, chat, and send snapchats directly to users; we suggest your company uses an account at least for the duration of the event.
1. Pre-event Hype
From the very start, you can build up suspense by event marketing with Snapchat! Send invites to guests via snapchat to create important interaction with guests. Long before the event, keep your guests informed and excited by sending them snaps and posting about your event through the transformation of the venue, decor, or anything else that goes into the event prep!
2. BTS (Behind The Scenes)
Market your event by showing behind the scenes snaps on the event prep. From snapchats of swag bag prep, setting up guest registration, or watching the AV team set up an awesome projection mapping display, guests will be excited long before their arrival.
3. Speakers/Sponsors/Performers/VIP’s
Are you bringing in speakers, sponsors, or VIP’s? Follow in the footsteps of other event producers and let them take over your Snapchat to talk about the event and post snaps!
4. Live Updates
Engage with and update your guests! Utilize Snapchat by sending snaps and posting throughout the event when there’s a speaker or performer. You can even use it to post info on the event/time changes, etc. With this app you can bring event engagement to the next level!
5. Thank you’s
After the event, engage with attendees to solidify relationships built and keep the success of the event in their minds. Use Snapchat for post-event engagement with your guests by sending snaps to them personally, messaging them, and posting on your event, and of course thanking them for attending!
6. Coupons, discount, or gift
One brilliant yogurt company let users send a snap of them with their product at their locations to the company’s snapchat account, so that they could receive a reply snap with a coupon. You can do the same thing for an event, possibly for a product launch. Just give users a discount on the event admission or a cool gift for buying the product!
7. Prizes for promoting
You can also give out prizes to people who use their Geofilter, and post the snap on Facebook or Instagram with the event or business hashtag. This can help promote your event through your attendees!
8. Ads: Lenses & Discover
Use lenses relating to your business or event to help with event promo’s by reaching tons of users. Snapchat’s Discover feature also has channels (ex: ESPN, Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed) that create new content daily. Get your ad featured on a popular channel to help spread your content!
9. Snapchat Live Story
Snapchat’s feature called Live Story is great for major sporting events or music festivals. This allows users in the vicinity to post to this story, and every snapchat user worldwide can view their snaps. If you are hosting a large enough event that gets OK-ed from Snapchat, Live Story can be an incredible tool. Over 100 million people use snapchat daily, so imagine what getting a live story can do!
10) On-Demand Geofilter
The On-Demand Geofilter feature allows anyone to make a filter that users who are at a certain place can use, during a specific time range. Whether it’s for the Oscars or for a birthday party, anyone can buy one, and they’re cheap! Event promotion is enhanced as guests use the filter and post their story or send snaps.
Do you use Snapchat for your events? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter.
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup: 7/8/16 – 7/10/16
Feeling the post-holiday blues? No worries, ABCey‘s ABCey’s Weekend Lineup: 7/8/16 – 7/10/16 will give you lots of ideas to make this next one just as fun! From red panda acrobats to free Ghirardelli sundaes, we’ve compiled a list of 5 Bay Area events for you and your friends!
Events for this weekend:
1. Pier 70 Putt Putt Happy Hour!
Friday, July 8th, 2016 | 4pm-9pm | Pier 70 | Free (donations appreciated)
Start your Friday off at Pier 70! Pier 70 is celebrating the launch of their 18 hole Miniature Golf Course. The miniature golf course will be open on the weekends throughout the month of July and August. So come on out and enjoy free live music, dance performances, shopping opportunities and of course, food! Happy Celebrating!
2. Red Panda Acrobats
Friday, July 8th, 2016 | 11-11:30 am & 12:15-12:45 pm | Yerba Buena Gardens, SF | Free
Bring your family to watch the Red Panda Acrobats this upcoming Friday! Specifically designed for kids and families, the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden gives you two free shows to enjoy. By bringing the ancient art of Chinese acrobatics to you, the Red Panda Acrobats will be sure to amaze all viewers with their exceptional and jaw-dropping athletic ability, traditional Chinese music, and dazzling costumes!
3. Frida Kahlo’s 109th Birthday Celebration
Friday, July 8th, 2016 | 6pm-9:30pm | Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts| $10
Celebrate Frida Kahlo’s 109th birthday at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts! Stop by for a fun-filled evening of Mezcal Tasting, Frida art raffles, Frida Fashion from Frida’s Closet, Salsa dancing with Susana y su Orquesta Adelante, local vendors and birthday cake! Also, don’t forget to wear flowers in your hair! Buy your tickets here.
4. Animal Show: Fur, Scales, & Tails
Saturday, July 9th, 2016 | 1pm-2pm | South San Francisco Main Library| Free
Come watch Tracey Hill’s Fur, Scales, and Tails Animal Show at the Community Learning Center in South San Francisco this Saturday! Take this chance to pet some of your favorite animals and catch them perform some fun and exciting tricks! Not only is this event free of charge, but visitors are also encouraged to take pictures and film throughout the entire show.
5. Free Ghirardelli Sundae & Ocean Beach Cleanup Party
Sunday, July 10th, 2016 | 10am-12pm | Ocean Beach (Stairwell 17)| Free
Spend your Sunday morning with a beach cleanup at Ocean Beach and a free Ocean Beach Salted Caramel Sundae at the end! In order to help raise awareness about protecting the urban beach, Ghirardelli is partnering up with Surfrider Foundation in providing cleanup volunteers with free Ocean Beach Sundae vouchers. So help your community while satisfying your sweet cravings this weekend!
Which events will you be attending this weekend? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter and Facebook!
10 Tips For Hosting a Flawless Outdoor Party
Summer is in full swing which means it’s all about pool parties, beach days, and enjoying the beautiful weather. ABCey knows that hosting an outdoor summer event can be tricky, but with these innovative tips, your next summer party is sure to be a hit!
1) Updated Wagon
Going to the beach, or need a Little Red Wagon? This is the tech for you! This Sport Wagon is extremely durable with lightweight UV resistant wheels. Moreover, it has a 5 sq foot tabletop with cup holders, utensil spots, umbrella slots, and built-in seats! Take anything you want easily and in style with this cool and useful tool!
2) Floating Candles That Ward Off Bugs
Are buzzing bugs driving you crazy? Ward them off with these citronella candles! Added bonus: these candles are also super cute…what more could you ask for?!
3) Chill Wine Quickly With Ice Water and Salt
Does a sudden drink surge at your party have you frantically trying to chill beverages fast? No worries, we’ve got you covered. This awesome tip will have your wine chilled in no time, making sure you’re back to spending time with guests in a blink of an eye. 
4) Nif-tea Lighting
Watch your event glow with this DIY tree lighting! Simply tie some thread around battery operated tea lights and hang them on branches. This DIY project will impress your guests and look magnificent at any outdoor event!
5) Keep Drinks Cold With Frozen Water Balloons
No one likes to drink a warm beverage. We love this awesome idea because it’s both cute and functional! Using frozen water balloons helps add a pop of color to your drink table and a fun element to your event!
6) Photo Booth Fun
Make sure your guests take home a memento with this easy photo booth idea! By simply hanging a giant picture frame from a tall tree, you can create your very own photo booth for your guests to enjoy. Grab a few friends and make sure you get that Instagram shot you’ve been waiting for!
7) Keep It Cool
We get it, these summer months can be HOT, but why should your party guests have to suffer? A simple solution to ensure your guests stay cool is by providing fans and parasols. Not only are these super chic, but they also protect your pals from the sun! There are plenty of places to pick up some fans (or make your own), but here is a great place to start!
8) Bright Backdrop
Need an easy way to decorate your outdoor party? Use fun DIY paper decorations to jazz and liven up your event. They make great decor or a backdrop for event pictures and they only take seconds to make! Learn how to make them here!
9) Set Out Sunscreen and Bug Spray
One of the most common mistakes people make when hosting an outdoor party in the peak of the summer is forgetting to put out sunscreen AND bug spray. Getting a sunburn is no fun, and nobody wants to spend their evening swatting away bugs! Plus, there are tons of cute DIY buckets to create to keep your party chic!
10) Encourage Guests To Use The Same Glasses Throughout The Party
Ease your stress by keeping your guests from piling up dirty glasses all night. There are a variety of different labeling techniques to chose from, but this is one of our fave’s! All you need to do is set out the glasses with tags pre-attached, and make sure there’s something to write with nearby the bar!
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Hosting an outdoor bash this summer? ABCey wants to know if you would use any of these tips, or what we missed! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and on Twitter!
4th of July Events in the Bay Area
July 4th is here and it’s time to celebrate! There is lot’s going on today, and we want to make sure you’re in the know of the best Bay Area Events. Look no further, ABCey has 5 exciting 4th of July events you definitely don’t want to miss!
1. Alameda: Mayor’s 4th of July Parade & South Shore Center’s 4th of July Festival
Mayor’s Parade: 10am | Free | Starts at Lincoln & Park St. (route map and directions here) | *No Fireworks
South Shore Center’s Festival: 3pm-5pm | Free | Alameda South Shore Center | *No Fireworks
Here are two events in one with a huge parade and a somewhat “official” after-party at the South Shore Center. With about 140 floats, 2,500 participants, horses, and dancers, Alameda Mayor’s Forth Parade is one of the largest and longest Independence Day parades in the entire United States! After this spectacle, keep the party going at the South Shore Center. There will be live music, pet animals, get henna tattoos, face paint, play games, participate in raffles and jump in the bouncy house! There are also plenty of stores to shop at and places to eat, so come on out and enjoy this exciting parade and then head on over to the post-parade party!
2. San Francisco: Pier 39
Starting at 11am | Free | *Fireworks at 9:30pm for about 20min
Want to have a full day of celebration and be at a prime fireworks spot? Then go to SF Pier 39! Spend the day at the pier shopping, eating, and going to the aquarium. From 11am-5pm, you can check out exhibits west of the Entrance Plaza, then hear the band Tainted Love play your favorite 80’s tunes. Last, but not least, watch the extremely popular City and County of San Francisco’s Fireworks Show at 9:30pm with the best 180 degree view from Pier 39.
3. Berkeley: 4th of July Fireworks & All Day Festival
Noon – 10pm | Free, $15 vehicle parking | 201 University Ave, Berkeley | *Fireworks @ 9:35pm | info here
This festival will fill all your 4th of July celebration needs! There is a main stage with music from noon until the fireworks show at 9:35pm and music at the food court from 2pm-8pm. The Shorebird Park is part of this festival and has an Adventure Playground with Waterballs, a Bungee Trampoline, and another stage with magicians, jugglers, and more! If that isn’t enough, throughout the marina there are great food trucks and booths as well as: carnival rides, kite flying, a giant slide, train rides, drumming sessions, dragon boat rowing rides, sumo soccer, nerf tag, a photo booth, face painting, crafts, pony rides, a petting zoo, AND their huge fireworks show! With everything here, why wouldn’t you come and enjoy the fun?
4. Jack London Square: July 4th Festival of Family Fun
11 am-4pm | Free | Jack London Square | *No Fireworks
Spend your July 4th afternoon at Jack London Square for loads of family fun! This festival offers musical performances, clowns and puppets, interactive activities, a petting zoo, face painting, fun crafts and delicious treats. If you couldn’t tell by the name, this event is also great for kids. Although there aren’t any fireworks, this festival ends early enough for you to go wherever you want after!
5. San Francisco: 5th Annual July 4th Pub Crawl
4pm – 11:59 pm | $7-$15; order early: $12; groups either $9 or $7 depending on size | info here |*No Fireworks
If you’re in the patriotic celebratory mood and 21+, join in on this pub crawl. Order tickets ahead of time, receive a discount with larger groups, check-in early, and get a discount on all of the pub crawl bars from 4pm – 12am. There will also be an after party, so get yourself and your friends right on over for drinks and to celebrate Independence Day!
How are you celebrating this 4th of July? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter.
10 Glowing Trends To Brighten Up Your Events!
From LED hula hoops to glowing cocktails to LED party gloves, ABCey has compiled a list of 10 glowing trends that bring you innovative ways to illuminate your future events!
1. LED Hula Hoops
Take your event to the next level with these LED hula hoops! Use them as a prop for your event performances, or as a decor to make your ideas and brand pop. We love SPinFX for using advanced LED devices with customizable graphic displays, such as the Phoenix Hoop, to create a unique and innovative form of live performance art that will be sure to bring any ideas to life, and have your guests talking about it all night long!
2. Glowing Cocktails
Light up your next party with these glowing cocktails! Just mix a bit of tonic water into your drink of choice, turn on the black lights, and watch your drink light up! You can also use LED ice cubes that come in a variety of colors to impress your guests.
3. LED Dancing Suits
Amaze your guests with these colorful LED dancing suits! Not only will your live performances be incredibly eye-catching, but they will also continue to maintain your party’s glow throughout the entire night.
4. Glow-In-The-Dark Hair
Promote your brand in style with glow-in-the-dark hair! This is a unique and creative way to display any desired images, words, or logos for the duration of your event!
5. Rainbow Slinkys
Add a futuristic yet whimsical element to your event by hanging rainbow colored glow-in-the-dark slinkys. This chaotic but creative approach will leave your event glowing brighter than ever!
6. Glowing Mason Jars
Repurposing mason jars is always a great DIY project, and is even better as a lighting decor project. With some fun glow paint, you can easily make these glowing mason jars and use them as centerpieces or lanterns!
7. Glowing Cotton Candy
Thinking of having a Pop Art themed party? Give your guests a sweet and glowing treat by creating a wall of glowing cotton candy! Just serve them on a LED stick and you are set!
8. Neon Yarn
Let your artistic side glow at your next event by using neon colored yarn! With just nails, yarn, and a hammer, you can create and showcase your own personal string art!
9. Glow-In-The-Dark Balloons
Change your daytime party decor into nighttime by reinventing the glow sticks! Simply put a glow stick in each balloon, and you’re all set. Use these glow-in-the-dark balloons as string lights, pool decorations, or to add some color.
10. Glowing Accessories
Perk up your dance floor by handing out glowing accessories as party favors at your next event. From LED party gloves to LED shoelaces to LED ties, these accessories will make sure your guests glow wherever they go!
Which one of these glowing trends is your fave? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and on Twitter!