Tag: event
ABCey’s Event Review: Battle of the Startups
At ABCey, we love to keep our eye on all the hottest events, trends, and startups here in the Bay Area. This past week, Google hosted their annual Google for Entrepreneurs Demo Day 2017 (@GoogleForEntrep) here in San Francisco. Google brought together thirteen of the best startups from all across North America to compete on one stage.
At Google Demo Day, startups got the opportunity to showcase their technology as well as meet a crowd full of top investors. Startups like PRSONAS and Triton Wear battled on stage for two awards. Read on to see which startups won the judge’s award and the audience’s game changer award!
Battle of the Startups #GoogleDemoDay
Meet the Startup Winners:
Judge’s Award: This award went to Stackfolio, a major player in today’s market, and one of main reasons why their pitch caught the judge’s attention. At Stackfolio, their goal is to create a faster way for institutions to trade. So, they developed a great online marketplace for loan trading!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBYHqdjStUg
Audience’s Game Changer Award: This award went to Waymark, an art and tech startup located in Detroit, Michigan. It didn’t take much for them to take home the award for the crowd favorite. Waymark’s mission is to make video marketing more efficient for businesses by using their tool, MOVEMENT. Waymark’s tool collects information from your business’s website to create your very own personalized business commercial, all within seconds!
Do you want to showcase your technology and meet top investors and mentors? Read more here on how to get nominated for next year’s event! Which startup is your fave? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Create a Customized Snapchat Filter for Your Event
As Snapchat continues to be a dominant avenue for social media, it is a great tool to use for event promotion. As you may know, Snapchat has an awesome feature that allows you to create your own snapchat filter for an event, On-Demand Geofilter. This allows anyone at the location of your event to use the filter during a designated time frame. At ABCey, we like to keep you up to date on all the latest social marketing tactics. So, here is a simple step by step on how to create your own filter!
** Note: to create an On-Demand Geofilter you must have a Snapchat account.
Create a Customized Snapchat Filter for Your Event
Step 1: Go to Canva.com
Once at the website, create a design using custom dimensions 1080px x 1920px.
After setting the dimensions, start designing! Keep in mind you want to leave room for people’s faces – so try to stick to customizing the top, bottom, and frame of the space.
Step 2: Download Your Finished Product
After you finish designing your cool new filter, click the download button and download the file as a PNG.
Step 3: Download GIMP
Download the computer application GIMP.
Step 4: Open Your Filter in GIMP
First, open your new filter by going to File → Open → Select Filter PNG. After, go to Select → By Color and click the white portion of your filter. Proceed by going to Colors → Color to Alpha. Finally, go to File → Overwrite nameofyourfilter.png.
Step 5: Go to Snapchat
Login to Snapchat.com and follow the steps on their website to upload your filter, select the location and time you want your filter to be active.
Happy Snapping!
Do you plan on using a custom Snapchat filter for your events? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook or Twitter!
Bandsintown: the #1 rated concert app for iOS and Android
One of the most beloved forms of entertainment is live music. Did you know concerts can be enjoyed throughout your city everyday? ABCey Events loves to stay in the know on all the upcoming concerts, events, and happenings here in the Bay Area, and this is concert app is great for that! Bandsintown is also user friendly on both iOS and Android! This awesome app makes concert searching a breeze by allowing you to track your favorite artists and receive alerts when they are in town!
Features of the concert app, Bandsintown
Scan Your Music Library
Make finding your favorite bands in town an easy process! This free app scans your music libraries, like Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Soundcloud, Deezer, and Rdio to find the artists and genres you enjoy. Also, this app tells you about great artists and DJ’s headed your way. Because Bandsintown connects with your Facebook and Twitter, you can discover similar artists to the ones you love!
RSVP to Your Concert Event
Bandsintown lets you to keep track of the shows you have RSVP’d to. Wheather you are just interested or actually attending, this app keeps you in the know of events coming up! Once you’ve RSVP’d, your calendar will sync with Bandsintown so you never miss a show! Don’t forget to share your concert details with your friends on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Get Your Tickets
Once you browse Bandsintown to find the upcoming tour dates of your favorite artists, you can easily purchase tickets through hundreds of ticket sites like Ticketmaster, LiveNation, and Eventbrite. Additionally, they offer in app purchases to make it extremely easy to get your reservations on time! If there is any issue with ticket sales, there is a Feedback button to report any ticketing mistakes. Bandsintown works with Desk.com so you get fast and helpful service for any “concert going needs”.
With living in such a passionate age for live music, this concert app works hard to connect us to the artists we love! Do you love Bandsintown as much as we do? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter.
7 Tech Gadgets for Event Professionals
Welcome to the digital age! Yes, robots taking over can be scary, but technology can also be used for good. With so many gizmos and tools on the market, we want to keep you in with some of the top must-haves for event tech. ABCey Events has compiled a list of 7 great tech gadgets and apps for all event professionals to help make your job just a little bit easier!
7 Tech Gadgets and Apps for Events
1. Measuring Tools: Camera measuring app
Whether you want to know the measurements at a site visit, or see if the venue will fit a certain event prop, knowing exactly how much room you have is important. Instead of struggling with a regular measuring tape, turn your iPhone into a measuring tool with the EasyMeasure app! This app uses your camera to measure your distance from an object and dimensions of an image. Simply point your camera, click, and get very accurate measurements!
2. HD Livestream Broadcaster
It sucks when guests can’t make it your event, but they can still be part of the event action with livestream broadcasting! Event tech gadgets, like Livestream’s Broadcaster Pro, allow you to broadcast your event live in HD! You can easily attach this to any HDMI camera or your smartphone’s Livestream app. Then, click play and you’ll be recording live! Help guests who couldn’t make it, get your event noticed, and let people see how tech savvy you are!
3. Lightwave: Biometric sensor-equipped wristbands
Did you ever want to know how your guests are feeling? Now you can with Lightwave wristbands! These sensor wristbands pick up on a person’s body temperature, movement, and other biometric data. You can then use this data to adjust your event in real time. Change everything from the lighting brightness to music tempo and mic volume to create the perfect balance!
4. Digital Portable Scanner
If you’re an event professional on the go, it’s hard to keep track of documents, floor plans, proposals, and more! And, now that we live in the digital age, having hard copies of papers is almost pointless. To help fix this problem, try a digital portable scanner! With this magic wand, you can take physical copies of important docs and scan them to make digital copies. This way you won’t ever lose a contract, bank statement, or receipt ever again!
5. Crowd Mic App
It’s great to hear from your audience, but walking around to each person in a crowd with a microphone can be a hassle. Crowd Mic’s app lets any event guest’s smartphone become a microphone. Tap to request to speak, and the presenter can accept it, mute you, and let everyone speak with the open mic mode. Also, this app lets you have live polls and text, so you can directly connect with your attendees. Don’t make your staff run around and engage your guests with this fun event tech!
6. Google Chrome Work Devices
Make your virtual meetings a breeze with Google Chrome Devices! Google has devices and packages that can include everything from speakers, a remote control, a mechanical pan and tilt HD camera, tech support, and the physical Chromebox system/core processor. In addition, the box is equipped with Google app software which makes it easy to share docs, spreadsheets, Google invitations and more! Next time you have a virtual conference call, use this event gadget to help your video conference run smoothly!
7. Portable Projector
As an event prof, you have to be prepared for the worst, like your projector breaking down! Instead of having a massive projector, get a small portable projector. These are great for both meeting presentations and displaying videos or images at your parties! For a great all purpose projector, check out the Epson PowerLite Multimedia Projector. Not only does it project high quality data, videos, and photos, but it also connects directly and wirelessly to phones, computers, tablets, and USB memory drives. Give attendees a great presentation with a remote or a mouse control, and easily carry this 3.7 pound projector in your bag!
Do you plan on using any of these event gadgets for your events? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook or Twitter!
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup: Top 5 Bay Area Events 8/19/16 – 8/21/16
Happy Thursday everyone! Are you as excited for the weekend as we are? From the Pokemon World Championship Viewing Party to the Pacific Sound System Summer Boat Party & After Party, there are so many events happening. To help you plan the perfect weekend, ABCey Events has compiled a list of the top 5 Bay Area events for our Weekend Lineup!
Top 5 Bay Area Events
1. Pokemon World Championship Viewing Party
Fri, 8/19/16 | 12pm – 8:30pm | Free | Razer Store San Francisco
Even with all of the Pokemon Go coverage, we still miss the good ol’ days. What are they? Pokemon cards of course! This Friday, you can watch the Pokemon World Championships and relive your childhood. Although the championship isn’t open to the public, you can check out the action at the Razer Store’s viewing party! In addition, this party will have tons of raffles and giveaways. If you’re a Pokemon fan, dress up in your best costume and play Pokemon Go with the masses!
2. Startup Basecamp Motel Launch Party
Fri, 8/19/16 | 6pm – 8:30pm | $10, buy here | Startup Basecamp
As you grow older, it’s harder to find and connect with like-minded people! Thus, Startup Basecamp was created to give entrepreneurs, startup professionals, investors, and digital nomads a place to both live and work! Not only is this a cheap alternative to hotels but it also gives professionals a way to connect. To celebrate the opening of their newest motel, Startup Basecamp is hosting a launch party with an open bar, refreshments, and a DJ. Come join in, network, and connect!
3. Noise Pop’s 20th Street Block Party: Food & Music Festival
Sat, 8/20/16 | 12pm – 6pm | $5-10 suggested entry donation, $95-Headliner Experience tickets | 20th Street Corridor
Do you like music? Love great food? Want to support a great local cause? If so, head over to the Mission district and hangout with 15,000 people at this SF block party hosted by Noise Pop! On 19th & 20th Street, between Bryant and Harrison, this block party will fill the streets with alternative indie music from a variety of artists. There are 17 neighborhood food vendors, 29 craft business/artisan vendors, a cooking demo and more! You can get the VIP treatment with $95 Headliner Experience tickets or pay the $5-$10 suggested entry donation. But these funds are going to an amazing cause: the Mission Language & Vocational School! Also, if your 21+, go to the pre and after party for even more fun!
4. Bloom Festival & Campout
Sat-Sun, 8/20/16-8/21/16 | Sat, 11am – Sun, 7pm | $50 – $130, buy here | Lake Sonoma Resort
If you love electronic music festivals and camping, then this is the event for you! The Bloom Festival will have artists performing all day long, so break out your camping clothes and gear to stay warm. In addition, Jeno & Garth, DJ M3, DJ Sharon Buck, and Harry Who are just a few of the amazing performers at this festival! This event is all ages, but don’t forget to bring your ID! In addition, CalGang Thai Eatery will be there to give you amazing food and beverages. You can also take advantage of Lake Sonoma and bring a boat, or rent water equipment. Best of all, parking is free! Come enjoy the music and camp out under the stars this weekend at one of the top Bay Area events!
5. Sunset Sound System Summer Boat Party + After Party
Sun, 8/21/16 | 5pm-11pm, after party: 10:30-2am | 21+ years old | $70, buy here; after party $5 with boat ticket, $10 without | Pier 3
Climb aboard the San Francisco Spirit this Sunday for an evening of great music and lots of partying! On this boat party, you’ll get to hear tons of great beats from DJ’s Galen, J-Bird, and Solar, and special guest, Chez Damier! Then, head over to Monarch for the official after-party. Don’t miss this opportunity to mingle, lounge, and dance the night away!
Which one of these Bay Area events will you be attending? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Top 5 SF Events: 8/12/16 – 8/14/16 – ABCey Events
Enjoy the summer while it’s still here! This weekend is the perfect time to go out and try some new things. From a auction dinner event, to the ShipShow and Dirtybird BBQ, to PokeCon, to a very vegan Sunday, we have it all! Here at ABCey Events, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 top Bay Area and SF events to attend!
Top 5 SF events
1. Toast & Taste 2016
Fri, 8/12/16 | 5pm – 7:30pm | $50 – $125, buy here | ThirstyBear Organic Brewery
Indulge in one of SF events’s top dining experiences while you wine and dine your night away this Friday! You’ll be able to have great food and give back to the community at the San Francisco Private Dining Venue’s Annual Toast & Taste event. All proceeds will go to Compass Family Services, whose mission it is to end family homelessness. This special event includes a silent auction to a bunch of goodies! From gift certificates to the top SF restaurants to private tours of SFMOMA and the Giants Stadium to paid luxury hotel stays, make sure you! In addition, enjoy the “taste” part of this event with great wine/beer/cocktails, delicious appetizers, sample size entrees, and scrumptious desserts. So support an amazing cause, win some prizes, and have a wonderful tasty evening filled with small delights!
2. Dirtybird BBQ 2016: San Francisco
Sat, 8/13/16 | 12pm – 8pm | $19.50 – $40, buy here | Treasure Island
Dirtybird BBQs started out in Golden Gate Park, but has now expanded! Now Dirtybird events are held in Brooklyn to Seattle, and places in between. But now this BBQ is back in SF on Treasure Island this Saturday, and you won’t want to miss it! With its “country fair” theme, this SF event has everything from carnival games to kids activities. Also, it has the “Best in Show contests” and great food of course! For $20, you’ll get some top of the line BBQ to compliment that bumpin’ music alongside artists like Claude Von Stroke, Justin Martin, Christian Martin, J. Phlip, and Worthy and Ardalan.
3. PokeCon 2 at Spark
Sat, 8/13/16 | 11am – 9pm | $5 – $40, buy here | Spark Social SF
Are you a foodie? Well then, you’ve got to dive into this yummy fish salad called Poke. Poke is cut up into small cubes of sashimi and drizzled with sauce and seasoning that you will just drool for. At this PokeCon there will be some of the best poke vendors! In addition to poke, dole whips, lau lau, and special hawaiian drinks will also be served! So get your taste buds on at this and experience the unique food with live music! Check out PokeCon 2’s event page for more info.
4. Very Vegan Sundays
Sun, 8/14/16 | 11am – 5pm | FREE | SoMa StrEat Food Park
Join hundreds of fellow vegans this Sunday at this Very Vegan Sunday! Invite your friends and family members, and enjoy the day at the SoMa StrEat Food Park. Admission is free, so everyone is welcome to come! There will be food trucks, popup vendors, beer, mimosas, and lots of vegan specials! Even if you aren’t vegan, the food is still super delicious! So what are you waiting for? Come hungry, and make your day vegan festive! Here is their Facebook event page.
5. The Ship Show – Sunday Morning Cruise of Shame(less)
Sun, 8/14/16 | board 8am-9am, cruise 9am-12pm | $30 or $35, buy here| 25+ years old | Hornblower Cruises-Pier 3
Jump aboard the San Francisco Spirit this Sunday morning for 4 hours of fun and shenanigans! Derek Hena presents this cruise filled with lots of music, drinking, partying, and adult fun! This cruise has full bars, including a Bloody Mary one, and food you can purchase, such as bacon, fruit parfaits, and breakfast burritos. While you sail along the bay, you’ll hear top notch DJs mixing hip-hop, disco, funk, and more! Moreover, you can celebrate Sunday Funday with tons of adult games like pantless congo lines, inappropriate coloring books, ping pong and tons of special surprises! Also, remember to get there early to be one of the first 150 guests and you’ll get a free mimosa! So down tons of drinks, partake in the antics, dance with your adult pals, and party on!
Are you excited for the weekend? Which of these Bay Area events will you be attending? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
How to Plan the Perfect Olympic Games Party
The Olympic Games are in full swing and it’s time to get into the competitive spirit! What better way to celebrate the games than by hosting an Olympic Games party? From food to activities, ABCey is here to help!
Entertainment and Games
Virtual Reality Games
Be a part of the games with fun entertainment and games to entertain your guests! Bring a high tech twist to your Olympic games party by bringing virtual reality. From basketball to tennis to volleyball, choose whatever sports your guests like most, and they can play on virtual reality screens and with goggles! Also, you can also get virtual and integrated sports floor technology, and let your guests enjoy playing on their favorite field!
Backyard Upgraded Games
In addition, upgrade your outdoor games with fully interactive games! Not only are games, like this Super Bowl hamster wheel, fun, but they are also unique twists. You can adapt this game for soccer, track and field, and tons of other sports for more Olympic fun! Also, guests will love that you compete with others to get the highest score. So bring the competitive spirit to your Olympic Games viewing party with games like this one!
Party Favors:
DIY Olympic Gold Medals
Another key element of a party is rewarding your guests for coming! Save money and stay with the Olympic games party theme thanks to these DIY Olympic medals. With some glue, glitter, bottle caps, and ribbon, you can easily make these great medals. Your guests will feel special that you spent the time to DIY making these fun party favors!
Olympic Games party food and beverages:
Olympic Games cake pop torches
Although you can’t be in Rio, you can still feel the electric vibe and feel like you’re right in the middle of the action! The celebrations start with the lighting and passing of the torch, so don’t forget a decoration to symbolize it. These decorative torches are not only festive, but they are also sweet! So let your guests make their own cake pop snacks and indulge their sweet tooth!
Olympic rings drinks
An Olympic party wouldn’t be complete without the rings! You can creatively show your Olympic theme with these fun cocktail glasses drink! Or, you can also add some sugar or salt to your glasses to liven up your cocktails and any drinks you’re planning to make! Also, you can use this trick for any drinking cup. Here is how to make them!
Colored ring ice cubes
In addition to your sugared cups, you can keep your refreshments cool thanks to these ice cubes! Not only do they perfectly fit with the Olympic Games party theme, but all you need is food coloring. Toss these rings into any clear flavored drink so guests can drink in style! Find out how to make them here!
Extras:
Ticket invitations
Invite guests to your party in style with these awesome tickets! Although they may be disappointed that they aren’t going flying to Rio, they’ll be excited to join in on the action at your party. These printable tickets will immediately load to your computer and let you customize it. This lets you add your own date, venue, and time. So feel special attending your top notch event.
Olympic rings backdrop
Create the perfect backdrop for your food/beverage tables and throughout your party venue! In addition, you’ll save money with these DIY Olympic rings. Also, you won’t believe how simple these are to make. Simply pin or glue colored crepe paper over polystyrene rings, and there you have it. An easy decoration that will impress your guests!
How are you planning your Olympic Games party? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Top 7 Unique Dessert Ideas for Events
By Jennifer Fong, Kristi Fujimoto, and Jessica Li-Jo
Picture this: You’re at a dinner event with your guests, and everything is going perfectly planned from decor to the music selection. Then, you realize your night is coming to an end. So what better way to end this perfect dinner event than to provide your guests with delicious desserts?! Well, ABCey has you covered! Here are our top 7 unique and creative dessert ideas that will surely leave your guests impressed and blessed!
1. Edible Flower cookie
Are you planning to use flowers as your centerpieces? Although you can decorate your venue with flowers, you can also use them to decorate your desserts! Everyone loves cookies, and shortbread cookies are a popular crowd pleaser. By adding these edible flowers, freeze dried fruit, and candied herbs on top of glaze, you can make these delicious tasting cookies. Moreover, you can make this lavender shortbread so your cookies are even more floral tasting. This creative and decorative dessert will be an excellent addition to your party! Learn how to make them here.
2. Flower Jello
If you want to decorate with more flowers, we have another dessert just for you! Instead of being a plain, clear “raindrop” cake dessert, this dessert is filled with decorations. Having a scary Halloween party or an outdoor floral party? From real fruit and flowers to sprinkles and spiders, the possibilities are endless when it comes to filling these droplets! These edible water bubbles are inspired by Japan’s Mizu Shingen Mochi and can be made with Agar or Jell-O gelatin. Don’t worry put insects and flowers in there because they’re edible and made from gelatin! So click here for insects and flowers, and here for fruit and sprinkles. And your guests will enjoy this unique dessert!
3. Unicorn Piñata Sugar Cookies
Give your guests a surprise with these Unicorn Piñata Sugar Cookies! These multi-colored cookies come with hollow centers that you can fill with your favorite candies. Not only will they add a magical element to your event, but they will also leave your guests wanting more! Set them out on a nice tabletop and watch your guests be delighted upon their first bite! These cookies are especially perfect for any Cinco de Mayo-themed event or kids’ birthday parties! So what are you waiting for? Learn how to make these here!
4. Burger Cupcakes
These may look like those hamburger gummy candies, but they’re actually cupcakes! Each part of the cupcake is made of different types of cake mixes with some frosting to top it all off. In addition, these hamburger cupcakes are a fun way to contrast how usual cupcakes are made! Make these for your next event and maybe even serve some fries with it!
5. Dessert Sushi
Surprise your guests by letting them think that they’re having another small course of sushi. What they won’t expect is that they’re actually getting a dessert! This dessert sushi is made from a thin layer of chocolate pancake that is smeared with warm cream cheese and fruit in the middle. Give your guests these tiny little delights at your events!
6. Chocolate Flower
Continue to wow your guests with this Chocolate Flower dessert! Wrap your favorite sweets and fruits with some chocolate flower petals. Then, pour hot custard and watch the petals bloom open just like a flower! This artistic, yet delicious dessert is sure to leave your guests mesmerized! Also, this is ideal for any celebratory party event! So check out how to make these here!
7.Crème Brûlée Cookies
Cookies are a typical dessert. But when you infuse it with Crème brûlée, you take it to a whole new level. Get the custard that you love oh-so-much combined with your favorite parts of a cookie! This will leave a memorable and tasteful dessert that will allow attendees to look forward to your future events! Learn how to make them here.
Which of these dessert ideas did you like best? Tell us in the comments below or on Facebook and on Twitter!