Tag: twitter
SF Events: 7/22/16-7/24/16
Thursday is here and the weekend is near! ABCey Events has our Weekend Lineup with the top 5 Bay Area and SF events that you don’t want to miss!
Top 5 Bay Area/SF Events
1. J-Pop Summit 2016
Fri July 22nd- Sun July 24th, 2016 | Schedule | $20-$200 tickets here | Regency Ballroom, Fort Mason Center, NEW PEOPLE Cinema (check locations here)
Jump into the J-Pop world at this summit and discover Japanese tech, culture, music, food, and film! This huge event starts Friday with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu performing as part of their World Tour (tickets and info). Then prepare yourself for a jam packed summit Saturday and Sunday. You won’t run out of things do with with: meet and greets with J-Pop stars, live performances, tech tradeshow/sessions, fashion events, interactive Summit/Showcase, panel discussions, and workshops! If that isn’t enough for you, get excited for the amazing food trucks and vendors. Guys-they have a “Sake Summit”! Also throughout the weekend, head to the Japan Film Festival for exclusive live-action and animation films, appearances, and Q&A’s. So dress up if you’re feeling adventurous, and check out this top SF event!
2. Bubble Soccer with SF Deltas
Fri. July 22nd | 2pm – 5pm | FREE | China Basin Park, San Francisco
With this beautiful weather, why not get out there and enjoy the great outdoors-with bubble soccer! With an inflatable ball around your head and torso, you never have to worry about getting hurt! The San Francisco Deltas, an American Professional soccer team, invites everyone to come learn about their team, and if you arrive before 2:30pm you get a SF Deltas scarf free! Start your weekend off right this Friday and have lots of fun bouncing and rolling around!
3. A Mad Hatter’s Affair (7pm Dinner Show;10pm Dessert Show)
Sat July 23rd | 6pm-on | $118 and up tickets here | 21+ event | Lodge at the Regency Center: 1290 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Let the Mad Hatter be your host while you dine on an amazing feast and hangout with the cast of Alice and Wonderland! Get sucked into the magical wonderland, drink special elixirs and watch the characters and cirque, belly, and burlesque dancers perform for you. If the Cheshire Cat hasn’t hypnotized you enough, stay for dessert (extra purchase of tickets and dessert required). Now don’t be late for this very important date, jump down the rabbit hole this Saturday, and enjoy a unique experience you won’t forget!
4. McLaren Park Treasure Hunt & Fun Day
Sat. July 22nd | 10am-2pm | FREE *Register here ASAP before Fri. July 22nd | 116 John Shelley Dr., Group Picnic Area
Want to be a pirate? Well now you can! Grab your family or a few pals, and go searching for a buried treasure throughout McLauren Park this Saturday. Not only will you find a treasure, but you can also get prizes, eat great food, get your face painted, do Zumba, and play on the mobile recreation (rock climbing, biking, skateboarding, and slack lining)! So come out, and find the buried treasure!
5. SFMOMA’s Free Family Museum Day
Sun July 24th | 10am-5pm | FREE*up to 2 adults accompanying each visitor 18&younger | 151 Third St., San Francisco
Come and explore the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art with your family! To showcase their sonic installation, a collaboration with Chris Kallymer, the museum is hosting a free day where you’ll hear from his Paradise Choir (12, 1, 2, and 3pm) and Site-Specific Performances of his work (11am-3pm). Hear their stunning sound throughout the museum and join in on their mobile choruses, performances, and workshops. With so much to do, what’s stopping you from this free museum trip?
Will you be attending any of these Bay Area/SF events? Any other SF events this weekend you’re excited about? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or on 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!
Behind The Scenes: SGN at GDC16
On March 14-18, 2016, developers and gamers from across the country took the Bay area by storm for this year’s Game Developers Conference. Some of the most brilliant minds in the gaming industry took to the streets of downtown San Francisco for GDC16. While other shows are about the fans, GDC determines the future of this industry: it’s the world’s largest gaming conference attended by a record breaking 27K professionals in its 30th year. Nearly half of developers here are building mobile + tablet games!
ABCey Events paired with SGN to showcase their newest game Genies and Gems, and also had a great time bringing awareness to their biggest game Cookie Jam. Between the moments that brought laughs in between sessions and the surprising and exciting moments that changed an attendees day, a powerful question was also addressed to the gaming community, #WHYDOYOUPLAY?!
TOP 5 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EVENT
- THE GENIE OF SF
SGN, the fastest growing growing major mobile games studio in the U.S., has just released it’s newest match-3 puzzle game. Genies & Gems is a spellbinding adventure that takes its players on a magic ride. Famous Youtuber Jesse Wellens from Prank vs. Prank brought this game to life in downtown SF with his motorized magic carpet. For those that spotted our magic genie, they were in for a lucky surprise!
2. (REAL!) GEMS
If you’ve gotten the chance to play, then you already know Genies & Gems is a game that’s true to it’s name. As the players cross through the magical worlds they recover lost relics, collect gold bars, and are taken on a journey with their enchanted keys. To celebrate the game’s launch SGN brought the game’s realities to life! Lucky San Franciscan’s scored some major gems from our genie that included- $20/$50 bills, silver coins, silver cufflinks, and (real!) gemstone rings!
3. COOKIE JAMMERS
With more than 70 million downloads, SGN’s top grossing game Cookie Jam showed it’s followers some serious entertainment for GDC16. Rocking out in front of the Moscone Center were our very own Cookie Jammers. If the outfits didn’t scream cookies, their lyrics surely would. San Francisco’s favorite cover band Pop Rocks twisted some of your most favored songs into actual cookie-filled jams (Just Eat It, Eat It, Eat It)! These life-sized cookies fueled up GDC16 attendees as they were headed to their next session!
4. COOKIES
We couldn’t promote a cookie game without thousands of FREE cookies! SGN provided attendees with a yummy snack to keep them going throughout the day. Who doesn’t love free cookies?
5. WHY DO YOU PLAY?
GDC16 determines the future of this industry, and because of this they are capable of bringing together a global community to attend their annual conference. It was the people in attendance that play a significant role in the creation and lifespan of games, and SGN had a thought provoking question to ask attendees- Why Do You Play? We can get lost in a game, but we can forget what really motivates us to play. We interviewed hundreds of people and received a variety of answers ranging from fun, stress relief, escaping reality, and interacting with friends or family. Our favorite answer may have been to “Escape From Trump!”
So, the question we have for you today is- Why Do YOU Play? Let us know in the comments below or find us on Facebook and Twitter!
Startup Spotlight: Snapcastr
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!
A growing trend that has been sweeping almost every event blog is the necessity for audience engagement and interaction! Conferences, Festivals, and Sporting events all call for larger scale audiences that must be enticed to attend, excited through out, and anticipating the event return for the coming year. So, the question is, how do we as event planners create this buzz? This Monday, we would like to highlight Snapcastr, a tech-driven company that provides all of these solutions through their social media platform!
THE BUILD UP!
Before we get to the main attraction, we must have a plan of action, and Snapcastr certainly does! Their #Hashtag Campaign supplies companies with clear marketing and event strategies from the very beginning to ensure that promotion is being maximized. In addition, their Social Event Display optimizes on audience connection. These event displays are customizable to create a unique and exclusive feel that can educate and boost audience interaction! By the way, sponsors they did not forget you! These displays have a space for your logos to market your companies and thank you for your support!
WE’VE ARRIVED!
Integrating social media interaction at an event is no longer a question, it’s a MUST. Snapcastr’s Live Social Wall enables guests to feel connected with their live tweets, posts, and shared experiences utilizing the hashtag you created with the #Hashtag Campaign! However, it doesn’t stop there.
Hosting a sporting event anytime soon? The FanPhoto feature creates guest incentive to tweet and promote your event at a chance to be featured on their team’s video board or Jumbotron!
Not sold yet? We have a few more to share! The Leaderboard feature highlights your top fans, top contributors, and/or top influencers! This is a great way to recognize your fans for their dedication or your contributors and influencers for their amazing support!
Have an opinion you want to share? Twitter Polling enables guests to participate in polls concerning your event, which will not only keep them engaged, but it will give you some great insight to their interests and what they’re looking for!
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
One of the best features of this company is the data capabilities that come with it! With all of these social media platforms being utilized, moderation and control is a necessity, and Snapcastr provides it. Interested in knowing your guest’s thoughts? The reporting features enables you to measure fan impact based on conversations. As well, you can monitor the growth of your social media accounts with real time analytics. This capability is a great way to track your success and pinpoint any problematic errors to ensure growth for the upcoming year!
What’s your favorite feature of our Startup Monday featuring Snapcastr? Let us know in the comments below or message us on Facebook or Twitter!
4 Ways to Enhance Your Event Using Social Media
Social media is one of the main tools event planners use to market events, distribute information, engage with guests and solicit feedback. Here are a few tips that will help keep your event buzzing from beginning to end!
1. Create pre-event buzz
Excitement is key to attracting attendees and establishing a good atmosphere at your event. You can create pre-event buzz by meaningfully posting on social media and creating a hashtag. Put the hashtag on presentations, handouts, goody bags and signage so people don’t forget to use it! You can also tease people with content to get people excited through contests, giveaways or a guest’s blog post.
2. Free Wifi
Wifi is key, so make sure it’s available and that the venue has the bandwidth to support your needs. Your digital marketing centers around your guests ability to post on social media. Guests not only share your event content, but their own generated content which helps promote your business.
3. Socialize your event
Live stream, live post, and enable the folks that are there! Post photos or short videos of what’s going on, or try Ustream to stream live video. You can also give away prizes for the most liked photo of the day or most favorited tweet to give people incentive.
It is also important to have a point person at the event responding to posts. They don’t have to respond to every single one, but there is a reason people post publicly and it is because they liked to be engaged with.
4. Post-event engagement
Keep the dialogue going post event, and keep using that hashtag! Ask for feedback from attendees, and post a slideshow or a fun time lapse video. Be sure to post a recap blog letting people about speakers key points, highlights of the event and more.
Were these tips helpful? Let us know by commenting below or on Twitter or Facebook!
Best Practices in Leveraging Social Media to Expand your Network
As event planners, we are constantly interacting with large networks of professionals and meeting different influencers. If you’re a professional of any kind, you’ve likely had to walk the fine line between seeming desperate and building a healthy network. Luckily, leveraging the right social media tools will help you connect with the contacts you have made, without being intrusive. Here are some tips we’ve put together on how to best use social media to help expand your network!
1. Identify Your Target Influencers:
Try focusing on connecting with people in a profession that’s relevant to yours. This way, you won’t waste your time on people that don’t have an impact to your business anyway. You might find your target influencers on social media or industry events. so take a peek at industry publications or get recommendations from your colleagues.
2. Use Twitter:
Most accounts on Twitter are public and therefore easy to find. Look up your target influencers and send them a tweet. Fully exploit your 140 characters. The more personality you give your tweet, the more chance they reply!
3. Use Linkedin:
Linkedin is the biggest online network of professionals. Sometimes, it is not possible to “connect” directly to a person if you don’t know them personally. In this case, you can easily join a group that your target influencer is part of and participate in discussions to call to their attention. You can also send connection requests using the group, which doesn’t make you seem like a stalker!
4. Write a Personal Email:
Email addresses are often challenging to find, but if you have actually located an email address, write a message – but make sure to keep it short. Illustrate exactly what you want and get to the point quickly. Including that you like your influencers’ work or point of view is a great way to obtain their attention. This way they can see that you’re genuinely interested in them and they would be more are likely to share perspectives and advises.
Have any of these social media tactics worked for you?
Tell us about it or share other ways to connect professionally with influencers in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Social Media Do’s & Don’ts for Conferences!
Here at ABCey, we understand the importance of using Social Media for events! It can create better brand awareness and provides great marketing without too much hassle. However, if used in the wrong manner social media can actually hurt your event messaging! That is why we are bringing you our tips in order to make social media the not-so-silent star of your next event!
Do: Create Compelling Messaging | One of the most crucial parts of social media for conferences is to understand the mindset of the “perfect” attendee. You should brainstorm very specific details such as: age, gender, their goal of the conference, and which trade sites they follow. After completing this exercise every Facebook post, tweet, or photo shared should be done with this ideal attendee in mind!
Don’t: Tweet & Run | When planning a conference it is especially important to constantly keep attendees updated with all information and changes. If a conference goes silent it could loose guest engagement or worse, attendees! So keep your social media platform constant with Tweetdeck or Social OOmph to automate your postings! However, make sure to mix automated posts with those written in real time to keep it from looking too spammy!
Do: Vivid Graphics | Whether planning a conference or company party there should always be a single vivid image that is used. It is also especially important to have this graphic ready to go well in advance for it to be used on guest and press invitations, website, and all related social media postings. This SXSW flier is a great example of creating a unique image that will remind guests and translates the message well between differing social media sites.
Don’t: Abandon Accounts | A simple mistake that we see over and over with conferences is the abandonment of websites and social media between events. Your “perfect” attendee demands engagement all year long from their conferences and a platform with old information will not benefit anyone! A simple fix is to create a year-long content strategy for your social media sites so that everyone knows what’s happening ahead of time.
Do: Social Media Displays | During any given conference there are many different attendee touch points that can both benefit the conference and attendees. Creating a “Social Media Hub” display where all social media platforms convene in one place where everyone can see is important. It allows guests to engage with other attendees while sharing the happenings across the venue space! We especially love Tint and Eventstagram for live display feeds!
Do you have any social media tips that you use in conference planning?! Let us know in the comments below or on our 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!
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 6.12.14- 6.15.14
Looking for something fun to do this weekend in and around the City? Here at ABCey, we have you covered from electronic picnics to World Cup viewing parties to fun things to do with your dad on Father’s day!
Featured event: Sunset Island |Saturday, June 14|12:00am-9:30pm|Great Lawn, Treasure Island| What better way to celebrate the last official weekend of spring and usher in summer than an outdoor picnic and festival on Treasure Island?! The groovy musical guests include Phuture, Kyle Hall, Beautiful Swimmers, Awesome Tapes From Africa and many more! And the best part of all, the event will be bringing in some of the best local food trucks from around the Bay Area, including Senor Sisig, Mr. Nice, Eat Fuki, Curbside Coffee and Me So Hungry.
1. Waterfront Flicks: Outdoor Film Night |Thursday, June 12|8:00pm|Jack London Square, Oakland| Looking for good movies to watch this summer? Look no further than the kickoff movie night at the Waterfront in Oakland this Thursday evening in Oakland. This is a summer-long-event and is free every Thursday night! For this Thursday evening, they will be showing Gravity, and for the rest of the summer’s movie schedule, check out the website. They show a mix of new and old movies, perfect for everyone to find a movie or two they want to see over the summer!
2. 2014 World Cup Live Outdoor Big Screen Party |Saturday, June 14|9:00am|Civic Center Plaza| In honor of the World Cup “kicking off” this week, there will be an outdoor viewing party taking place in the plaza of the Civic Center! This is an all day and completely free event, so why not take your favorite sports buddies and friends over to the center on Saturday and watch Colombia take on Greece at 9am, Uruguay and Costa Rica at noon and Italy versus Germany at 3pm. This sounds like a great place to get into the soccer spirit and watch the World Cup!
3. Burning Man Precompression |Saturday, June 14|7:00pm-2:00am|8410 Amelia Street, Oakland|With only 81 days left until the renowned Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, make sure to head over to Oakland to get a small taste of what is to come! This event is held at NIMBY and is an indoor/outdoor event, with 6 stages of epic beats, art cars, fiery installations and much more. Make sure to get there before 9pm, when tickets only cost $15, after that it bumps up $10 to $25!
4. North Beach Festival |Saturday and Sunday, June 14-15|10:00am-6:00pm|North Beach District, San Francisco|North Beach is celebrating its 60th annual festival this year. This two day event is free and welcomes you to come and explore! During these two days, the streets of North Beach shut down while food vendors, artists, musicians and craft vendors flood the area. Lovingly known as the Italian district of San Francisco, expect some of the best Italian food you will ever eat! You really do want to make sure that you make it over to this festival and bring dad as a special Father’s Day treat!
5. Giants vs. Colorado Rockies |Sunday, June 15|1:05pm|AT&T Park, San Francisco|Of course, there are always baseball games going on in the Bay Area, so that is nothing special. However what is special is that on Sunday, Father’s Day, the Giants play at home! If your father loves baseball and you have yet to get him a present, head over to Stubhub or the Giants ticketing area and pick up a couple of tickets to make your dad’s day as special as you can!
This Father’s Day weekend is filled with so many different things to do, it’s bound to be an incredible holiday! Let us know how your weekend goes in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Tech Tuesday: 5 Event Startups to Engage your Audience
The world of technology is constantly changing and is adding value to the event industry! Here at ABCey, we love to keep up on current startups and trends that can enhance the event experience for attendees. We did some digging to find 5 event startups that will engage your audience and make them active participants throughout your event.
1. Postano: Put your attendees in the spotlight and make them feel like social media rockstars through this unique platform! Bring your conversation to life at your next event by showcasing your attendees’ social content, tweets and Instagrams on social media displays. Attendees can actively participate rather than simply listen and this will enrich their experience and create visibility for your event.
2. Catchbox: The world’s first throwable microphone was created for audience engagement. It is a great way to get participants talking! Catchbox lowers the barrier for people to comment and present questions. The box comes in different bright colors and is easy to throw or pass from one audience member to the next, making participation easy and fun!
3. PowerVote: Maximize the value of your event by engaging your audience, encouraging your participants, and encouraging their feedback. If you want your to gather information about your audience’s opinion, PowerVote can instantly display voting results in an graphical format. Presentations can be directly streamed to the audience’s mobile devices and people can vote or provide feedback in the moment.
4. Sopreso: Through this unique platform, your audience can ask, comment, and like your presentation live. Once you develop a presentation and run Sopreso on your laptop, the audience can connect to the presentation with their smart devices. Additionally, this platform extends the lifetime of your presentation! You can easily follow up on your leads, answer all questions, and keep the community alive.
5. TweetWall Pro: A TweetWall offers a great opportunity to interact with audiences. Rather than asking a few audience members questions, inspire all attendees to share their thoughts. People can ask questions on Twitter and get live responses. Interesting topics can quietly be discussed, and interaction is highly encouraged. Onlookers of TweetWalls find it difficult not to participate, inspiring engagement from all viewers. Post event reports allow you to follow up with attendees directly!
With so many advances in technology, passive audience participation is coming to an end. We love each of these startups, and Postano really stands out to us because you can see what people are saying about your event and what popular topics of interest are, as well as create visibility for your event! Which of these unique event startups would you use to engage your audience members? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!