Tag: sf event planning
Aydin Lands Bat Mitzvah: Behind the Scenes
Oh, what a night!
Welcome to Aydin Lands, a festival themed Bat Mitzvah celebration on November 30th, 2019. Come take a peek at this oh-so-special eve, culminating from months and months of studying and hard work!
The Highlights
The St. Regis San Francisco set the stage for an incredible night filled with a most momentous ceremony, Havdalah and Hamotzi blessings and candle lighting, hula hoop lessons, LED arcade games, a crazy team of emcees, motivational dancers and Dj’s, and a montage video featuring surprise guest Trevor Noah.
There’s More…
For those of you old school Roots fans, along came Rahzel beatboxing the night away. Guests were also treated to airbrushing, glitter tattoo’s, a Merch station with lots of LED swag, lots of delish food and desserts, custom cocktails, and more!
Thank You!
Most importantly, a huge thank you to the many partners and vendors who came together to make this event happen. You guys and gals rock!
Event Design, Production & Management: ABCey Events
Aside from producing and managing, we had so much fun creating and making lots of fun things for this event, such as the custom grass butterfly wall for Registration with Aydin Lands cut out logo. We love this fun LED Cinema Light Box which comes with interchangeable emoji’s!
Lighting: Got Light
The tables were adorned with album covers on wood plaques from Aydin’s favorite artists which we had custom made from Plak That. Gorgeous pink and purple lighting filled the ballroom and foyer, and a fun pattern wash for the ceiling during the ceremony.
Venue: The St. Regis San Francisco
Our special guest gets lifted up on a chair during the “HORA” in the main ballroom. Also, some delicious specialty cocktails by the St. Regis “Here Comes the Sun” w/ custom Aydin Lands napkins, designed by ABCey x Zazzle!
Team of emcees, motivational dancers, and DJ’s: Aaron David Productions
Aaron David and his team gets the crowd “energized” all night long on the fun festival stage, also bringing the awesome LED dance floor, and LED DJ booth.
Photography: Michele Walker Photography
Everything you see here is Michelle’s work. She did an incredible job of capturing the best moments of the night!
LED Arcade: Video Amusement
Jumbo LED Foosball, Hoop It Up, and LED Cornhole kept guests busy during the cocktail hour in the tented terrace.
Airbrushing/ Glitter Tattoos: Catalyst Arts
The talented Audette Sophia of Catalyst Arts showcased a customized “GLAM” station with face painting, airbrushing, glitter tattoos, henna, hair braiding and more!
Performer / Beatboxer: Beatbox University/ Rahzel Brown (The Roots)
Literally one of the greatest beatboxers of all time, Razhel Brown from the Roots joins us onstage, and kills it with his beatboxin’ skillz! See the video below and you’ll know why he’s called the “Godfather of Sound.”
Hoop Lessons and Performances: Shreddertainment/ Erin Shredder
Erin Shredder is a former firefighter, professional circus artist and a member of the elite Vau De Vire Society. This girl has some sick talent on the hoops, lyra, aerial and more! Now she’s got Shreddertainment up and running, so she’s ready to entertain at your next event!
Florals/ Design: Hunt Littlefield
Amazing pampas and wild flowers flanked the Bimah and hundreds of hanging butterflies adorned the stage. In the main ballroom, manzanita branches entwined with fairy lights and more butterflies adorned the kids tables, with beautiful morrocan lanterns. Adult tables had a mix of high and low wildflower centerpieces carrying through the same theme!
Photo booths: Studio Booths
The best hosts and clients, playfully fighting over a rose prop! Studio booths was amazing to work with and have some of the best custom backdrops I’ve seen!
Rentals: Blueprint Rentals + Found Rentals
Faux grass backdrops and inflatable donut and flower props by Blueprint Studios. Merch backdrop with custom Aydin Lands sunglasses and LED by ABCey x Blueprint Studios. Boho lounge by Found Rentals.
Hebrew Teacher/ Ceremony Officiants & Cantor: Alli Darrow/ Jory Gwasdoff
Aydin’s Hebrew Teacher Alli Darrow facilitates the service and Cantor Jory Gwasdoff on guitar!
Donut Wall: Dynamo Donuts
This is thankfully a trend that just doesn’t get old. Probably because it’s the most logical way to hold a large quantity of donuts (duh)! There were YUMMY flavors like Sweet Potato Marshmallow and Persimmon, with a few gluten free and vegan options of course!
Videography/ Montage: Video Madness
Ok, so this montage was ridic. Such cute pics and videos of our guests life to date, as well as appearances by family and friends. To top it all off, surprise guest Trevor Noah ends it by wishing her Mazel Tov. Stellar job by Bob Farnsworth, the Bat Mitzvah montage guru!
Stage Banner/ Large Format Printing: Vivas Banners
We were super happy with our large format printing needs for this event, and our first time working with Vivas did not disappoint. We created a large vinyl banner for the festival stage, and also got logo cutouts and a large canvas mural done by them too!
Save the Dates/ Logo Design/Mural: Amanda Lynn Paint
If you don’t know Amanda Lynn, she’s an acclaimed Bay Area based muralist and installation artist. She hand painted the logo, and did all of the artwork for the Save the Dates, along with this fun canvas print that served as a guest book!
Booklets/ Name cards/ Menu’s: Ram Print
The colorful “escort” wall with adult names and tables printed by Ram in Mill Valley, CA. They also helped with the beautiful ceremony booklets, and printed bar menu’s!
Iridescent Tote Gift Bags: PC Nametag
You gotta have something to hold all of your festival merch, right? We struggled getting a 2 color logo on the iridescent bags, but they seemed to come out just fine!
Sound Activated LED Wristbands: 4imprint
Upon registering, “festival” guests received custom Aydin Lands sound activated LED wristbands. I’d say that maybe these plastic and not eco friendly (sigh!) were not super necessary, but they played into the theme quite nicely!
Linens: La Tavola
Bedazzled Grey for the kiddos and Wavering Citrine for the adults, by the acclaimed La Tavola. Always the best high quality selections!
Event Website: Sterling Visuals
Mila from Sterling Visuals did a great job creating a Squarespace site for Aydin Lands, which linked directly to Eventbrite for registration. A great paperless way to go!
The End!
In conclusion, we hope you enjoyed our event recap of Aydin Lands 2019! We had so much fun producing this Bat Mitzvah, and it was truly an honor to be a part of this special day. Now, we’re ready for YOUR next event in 2020!
Happy New Year from ABCey Events…sending lots of love, peace, and good vibes to all.
ABCey’s list of SF Weekend Events: 7/29/16-7/31/16
July has flown by and it’s time to start preparing ourselves for August! We can’t believe how fast this month went by, and ABCey Events is here to help you make the most of the last weekend in July with a list of our fave SF Weekend Events going on!
1) Startup Weekend San Francisco: Entertainment for Social Change
Friday-Sunday, 7/29-7/31 | 6:30 pm | $75 |44 Tehama St. San Francisco
Startup gurus- it’s time to block out your calendars for this weekend’s Entertainment for Social Change Startup Weekend! Bring your ideas from all different backgrounds, pitch ideas, and create teams to develop solutions to social issues. Some of Bay Area’s top mentors will be in attendance to add guidance to you and your co-founders. Then, you and your team will pitch your ideas to judges over the course of 54- hours. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to network, connect and learn with talented influencers from around the Bay Area! This is your chance to be a part of/be the start of Silicon Valley’s next big venture! You can register for this event here.
2) The Great Mac and Cheese Melt Off SF Weekend Events
Saturday 7/30/16 | 11am- 9pm | $5 | 601 Mission Bay Boulevard North, San Francisco
Is there really a better way to celebrate the weekend than by consuming endless amounts of Mac and Cheese? This is one of those awesome SF weekend events that has a line up of amazing food! There are over 10 mind blowing mac and cheese food trucks, ready to serve up deliciousness that will leave your taste buds amazed. Make sure to try as many as you can, as you will be able to vote for your fave! With only a $5 general admission, you’ll get free beer will be served as well as and free water all day long! Looking to make the most out of this event? Upgrade your ticket to the Big Cheese Passport for just $20 in advance ($25 at the door) and indulge in 4 heaping mac and cheese samples from any vendor! You don’t want to miss out on this oh so cheesy event!
3) Berkeley Kite Festival
Sat-Sun, 7/30-7/31 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Cesar E. Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina
Nothing screams summer quite like kites! The Berkeley Kite Festival this weekend allows fun for all ages (or something similar), so if you’re thinking you are too old for kites…think again! This festival features soaring kites the size of houses soaring in the sky, free kite flying lessons, and tons of great food and drinks to indulge in. This fun, free festival is the perfect way to spend your last weekend of July!
4) Color Splash UV Reactive
Friday, 7/29 | 9:30pm-1:30am | $15 | AURA NIGHTCLUB – 389 S. First Street, San Jose
Ready for some all night colorful fun? Then this is the party for you! This Color Splash event will be full of colorful paint blast, lasers, awesome lighting, confetti canons, and large visual LED panels. There will also be a live body painting showcase, plus go-go dancers in full body paint! Buy tickets to this one of a kind party here.
5) The Summer Wine Event
Friday 7/29 | 6pm-9pm | 1300 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco | $20
Calling all SF wine lovers! This Friday, The Ivy Society and Three Day Rule are teaming up for one epic summer wine night at Eristavi Winery. Unwind from your work week with this luxurious wine event where complimentary bread and cheese boards will also be served to help you fully enjoy the amazing wines. Plus, this event is offering its very own Lyft code to ensure you get to and from the event safely! Use the code: LYFT2SUMMERWINE for 20% off your rides to and from the event. You can purchase tickets for the event here.
So grab your fav pals and enjoy these wonderful SF Weekend events together!
Going to any fun SF Weekend Events that we missed? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook and Twitter!
5 Creative Holiday Party Ideas
It is hard to believe that the holiday season is right around the corner! Don’t make the common mistake of waiting until the last minute to book that perfect venue, because spaces are booking up quickly already! In preparation for the holidays, the girls at ABCey Events have put together some of our favorite entertainment, decor, and other ideas in order to host the ultimate gathering with friends and family!
1. D.I.Y. centerpiece: This festive candle centerpiece is very easy to create. Simply fill a Mason jar with water, greenery, cranberries, a floating candle, and viola! Guests are guaranteed to be impressed with your Martha Stewart-like display.
2. Hot chocolate station: Hot cocoa stations aren’t just pretty to look at, they also make a fun & festive addition to any holiday party or open house you might be hosting this year! You can create one using items you already have on hand, or go crazy with items such as flavored marshmallows, cherries, malted barley, chocolate shavings, and whipped cream.
4. Balloons & bubbly: All set to ring in the New Year, this refreshment table shows that even simple decorations like these “bubbly” balloons in pretty pastels can help create a party atmosphere. Don’t forget to accent with metallics such as silver & gold (TREND ALERT)!
4. Warming cocktails: When the temperature drops it’s time for the cocktails to heat up! We found this delicious Chai Hot Toddy recipe on Brit + Co. and cannot wait to serve it up at our next holiday party! With ingredients ranging from spiced rum to ground cinnamon, no one will be able to resist this delicious holiday drink.
5. Photo Booth: No bash is complete without a dedicated corner decked out with a festive background and loads of silly & holiday-oriented props! In addition to the standard mustache and sunglass on a stick, we found these awesome snow bunny & Holiday props for Him & Her on Etsy!
Have you gotten your holiday festivities in order?! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
5 Fun Apps for Working Out!
Tech Tuesday 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!
One of the many great characteristics of the San Francisco Bay Area is its emphasis on health and well-being. With the wave of apps and startups from this area, we have seen lots of fitness related tech that can help you get more from your workout, track it and even motivate you to get active! As event planners, we need to stay healthy so that we can be on our toes for long hours. We’ve compiled a great list of 5 of our favorite fitness apps that keep us on the go!
1. Zombies, Run is one of the most fun, creative apps we’ve seen. It places you in a scene where you really do need to run for your life, and gives you that motivation you’ve been looking for. You are set in a narrated apocalypse intermixed with your own playlist. The fun doesn’t stop when you stop running, because there are games that come with the app to immerse you even when you’re not working out. Even if you haven’t hooked onto the new zombie fad, this app is so much fun!
2. BitGym makes long treadmill runs a lot more fun, taking you on a visual vacation through the streets of somewhere far away. Fuel your run being immersed in a tour of the Grand Canyon, or sprint the trails of the Alps without a plane ride! The visuals are beautiful and it allows you to motivate your runs with the promise of seeing something amazing!
3. Strava is software that keeps track of your workouts, runs, bike rides and cross-training, and then helps you compare them day by day to track progress and effort. You can even compare against other athletes using Strava! You can upload your routes via GPS capable gadgets and when you get back, you can see your hard work displayed on Strava.com! The site even gives challenges for users to compete in to push themselves even more.
4. Spitfire Athlete is an app that promotes health and strength in women, to push them to be more than they imagined. It connects you for free with coaches, step by step training and the information you need to reach your goals. The app is action packed with scientific facts and motivation to build strength and be the best you can be! We love this because it strives to make working out about feeling good and we love how easy it is to the connect a community of healthy information sharing!
5. GymPact is a mobile app that sets up incentives with money! Are you trying to exercise more or eat healthier? Set goals on pact and if you don’t meet these goals, you pay. If you do, you are paid by other members who didn’t meet their goals. We love this app because it creates real world incentives. The most important way to grow is by setting goals, and earning money while you complete your goals is a just fun bonus!
What are your favorite workout apps? Did we miss anything great? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
ABCey’s Weekend LineUp: 07.25.14 – 07.27.14
This upcoming weekend is looking to be a warm one and we couldn’t be more excited! There is something for everyone – from sport fanatics to music lovers. Read on for our top picks for events around the Bay that are guaranteed to be a good time!
FEATURED EVENT: The San Francisco Marathon | Sunday, July 27th | 5:30am | Ferry Building, San Francisco | This Sunday, thousands of sneakers will take to the streets of our beautiful city in the 37th running of the The San Francisco Marathon (TSFM). This USA Track & Field certified race and Boston Marathon qualifier starts at the Ferry Building, runs along the Embarcadero, over the Golden Gate Bridge, through Golden Gate Park and Haight Ashbury before finishing in front of Cupid’s Arrow. The event includes a race for runners of all levels: 5K, half marathon, full marathon, double marathon. This is a perfect opportunity to support local runners while enjoying the Bay!
1. Treasure Island Rock the Summer | Saturday, July 26th & Sunday, July 27th | 10am – 4pm | Treasure Island, San Francisco | Celebrate the flavor of summer with the Treasure Island Flea this beautiful weekend! From food truck brunch, to DIY mimosa kits and ice cream on a stick, this event has it all! It’s also pet friendly, parking & children under the age of 12 are free. Otherwise, admission is only $3!
2. Rufus Wainwright & Quartlet San Francisco: Stern Grove Festival | Sunday, July 27th | 2pm | Sigmund Stern Grove (19th Avenue & Sloat Boulevard, San Francisco) | Grab a blanket & a cooler and come out to enjoy the sounds of acclaimed singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright while he performs solo with piano, bringing together a rich blend of theatrical pop, cabaret, and classical styles. Opening the afternoon is the contemporary sound of instrumentalists Quartet San Francisco. Admission is free and it is a guaranteed fun time!
3. NBA Nation: Trampoline & Slam Dunk Showcase | Friday, July 25th & Saturday, July 26th | 12pm-8pm | Union Square Park, San Francisco | NBA Nation is 20,000 square feet of basketball action, including a full center court home to free interactive basketball activities, contests and clinics, and the opportunity to meet current NBA and WNBA player! This event offers fun activities for all ages and will provide mind blowing entertainment.
4. Sundays on Telegraph | Sunday, July 27th | 12pm-5pm | Telegraph Avenue, Berkley | Come enjoy food, art, live music, and family activities at this year’s Sundays on Telegraph! Music ranges from rock to blues, to folk, to hip-hop. Get ready for a circus-like atmosphere with a balloon clown, life-size chess, jugglers, and a stilt-walker. While browsing tie-dye and jewelry, listen to poetry, drumming, or the Cal Band, and relax with refreshments from local merchants at outside tables and umbrellas. A perfect day to make summer memories with friends & family!
5. Atletico Madrid at San Jose Earthquakes | Sunday, July 27th | 4pm| Candlestick Park, San Francisco | For those of you who didn’t get enough soccer from the World Cup, we have an exciting game this weekend right here in our backyard! On Sunday, the infamous Candlestick will be transformed for the Earthquake’s Copa Euroamericana match against UEFA Champions League finalist Atletico Madrid. Tickets are running from $25-$200. If you love the game of soccer, you can’t miss this event!
Will you be attending any of these awesome events?! Let us know if we missed any in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
StartUp Monday: Intercom
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!
We are really excited about this gem we found! Intercom is designed to increase sales and foster customer loyalty, by combining all aspects of helpdesk, email marketing and automated marketing! Its goal is to let companies start meaningful dialogue with customers depending on who they are, and how they’re using an online product. It’s a whole new dimension in customer service, and designed by former employees of Facebook, Apple, Google and Amazon, they must have something special!
Using a simple JavaScript code on your website or app, developers can use this product to track customers as they sign in. Using this data, companies are able to interact with customers more easily, with on-the-spot messages divided based on customer demographics! Intercom looks at many descriptors of customers online behavior as to more effectively interact with them. This is beneficial for the company and the customers because the company learns how to make the customer happier!
Reviews say Intercom is easy to use and the pricing is refreshingly transparent! They are aiming to replace platforms such as Zendesk for customer support. We are really excited about it because as connoisseurs of digital marketing strategies, we love to see innovative new ideas that make it easier for companies and customers to interact and engage!
Would you use this tool for your next website or app? Do you think it’s helpful for customers? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter!
Utilizing Loyalty to Make Your Event a Success
Loyalty has been used in marketing for hundreds of years but it is perhaps in the past 40 years that we have really seen the growth of loyalty programs. Programs such as airline frequent flyer points, credit card points, coffee shop loyalty cards or hotel club memberships are all examples of this growth.
This type of marketing is all about repeat business and if you run regular, or even annual events then you will know that repeat attendees are an incredibly important group of people; both in terms of direct bookings, but also because they help you advertise your event to their peers. At ABCey Events, we cherish these relationships and wanted to share a few ideas that can be borrowed from loyalty programs to make your next event a huge success!
1. Make Previous Attendees Feel Privileged: When announcing a new event think about the ways that you could make previous attendees feel exclusive. For example, you could leverage principles from airline loyalty schemes such as priority boarding by telling these people that you have reserved them a seat in the front row as long as they confirm before a certain date. Or perhaps you could offer them a free gift such as a shopping voucher or a free night in a nice local hotel if you know they are traveling from a distance.
2. More is Better: It’s true, we are all greedy and we all like more – aim to give a few additional surprises at your event that the attendees were not expecting. This will make your event memorable for all! This could be utilized in the form of a bonus speaker that the attendees were not expecting, a free gift for all, or even a surprise drink reception!
3. Incentivize Feedback: Positive feedback is a mechanism to confirm a good experience in someone’s mind. By asking all attendees at your event for feedback you will firstly give yourself the opportunity to improve your next event, but you will also improve loyalty amongst this group of people as it shows that you care about their opinions! For the people that give you positive feedback, it has the effect of helping them to relive and solidify in their mind the memory of something that they enjoyed. This positive recognition is very helpful when you contact them about future events as they are more likely to attend and also to share your event information with their peers.
4. Build Strong Relationships with Your Speakers: Having positive relationships with speakers will make more speakers come your way and want to work with you in the future.If your speakers enjoy being at your event and they have a strong rapport with you, this will be visible to all.
Events are a great opportunity to build a personal bond with your most loyal customers so make sure that you reward & incentivize them appropriately! Will you be using these tips to create that bond? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
StartUp Monday: Getaround
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!
Before there was Uber and ZipCar, there was Getaround, which pretty much meshes the two ideas into one brilliant peer-to-peer car share program! The program aims to take 1 billion cars off the road by utilizing the 22 hours a day that you are not using your car.
The car-sharing marketplace enables car owners to rent their cars to their community via a smartphone app. Car owners invest huge amounts of time and money into an asset they barely use. The average car is idle 92% of the time, while potential drivers walk past block after block of underutilized cars. Getaround gets you where you need to go, and makes money for car-owners!
Imagine a world with fewer cars, without traffic jams, and with less pollution. This program is perfect in a city like San Francisco where parking is few and far between and there is a stoplight every block. Get involved in this mastermind community and start renting today!
Are you ready to have your traveling experience upgraded? Let us know what you think of Getaround via Twitter or Facebook, or leave us a comment below!
Tech Tuesday: Maximizing Event ROI
Tech Tuesday 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!
ROI applies to everything. From your events to your event management tech, being able to measure your return on investment is a vital element to your organizational success for both attendees & planners. If you are looking to increase your event ROI, one of the best places to start is with your technology! Here are our top 3 picks for the best apps & software to consider to help with this task!
1. iWaz.at: We all know the feeling. We enter a conference and realize we don’t know anything about anyone there. iWaz.at automatically generates detail-rich profiles for each and every attendee. It’s impossible to talk to everyone at a conference, so iWaz.at helps you discover things about attendees so that you can make the most of the event! Agendas, exhibitor profiles, event info, and branding can all be built to improve the conference experience. For organizers, raising audience engagement can mean increased attendance, greater positive referrals and a boost to your bottom line!
2.Pickevent: Pickevent is the world’s first professional events network that connects attendees, speakers, and event organizers. Started by Jose Bart in February, it ensures that you never end up at an event that doesn’t interest you. It helps you find events worth attending based on your personal interests. And the networking doesn’t stop once the event is over! You can review the speakers and event organizers to inform the community about what works and what doesn’t.
3. evvnt: For organizers, getting your event out there isn’t easy. There’s a veritable plethora of places that you can advertise with and listing each one can a time consuming & labor intensive process. Launched by Richard Green in April 2013, event does the legwork for you, distributing your event to a network of listing sites. They can add your event to as many as 90 sites & apps, from Eventbrite and Facebook to local listings exactly where you need them! Within 24 hours of listing each event, you will receive a full report, showing where your events are listed, how many people have seen them and how many clicks you’ve received…Talk about networking!
Will you be using any of these apps or software prior to attending or planning a conference or event?! Let us know which one you think seems most useful in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Start Up Monday: Tint
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.
Do you ever find it tough to keep your audiences alert and engaged at your event? At ABCey Events, we are always on the lookout for new ways to keep our attendees involved and interested. This new San Francisco based company Tint, is the solution we’ve all been searching for! Tint’s mission is to help organizations drive deeper relationships with their customers through social media.
How it Works: Tint helps company’s connect through any page, handle, hashtag, playlist, and/or tagged location from any social network. It also moderates which posts they wish to display in order to generate the best content possible. This software also has the capability to display the message on any website, mobile app, TV display, event wall, or jumbotron!
Why it’s Great For Events: Tint specializes in relationships with customers through social media. When an attendee uses a unique hashtag centered around the event, their tweet or Instagram photo will automatically stream into the event wall/TV screen. This can also be used if your event has a Q&A session! Request that attendees ask questions tagged with your event’s hashtag and use Tint to display a Q&A wall to allow speakers to address the questions. Another option is to use Tint to display pictures and information about your event in a creative and colorful way!
Tint can be used in so many different ways and can really help generate engagement and excitement with your attendees. We can’t wait to see how they grow and develop! Let us know what you think of this social media platform in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!