Tag: vendors
ABCey Presents: Tips for a Smooth Site Selection Process
Site selection for events can be a challenging and tedious process. However, by accomplishing the right steps, you can find the best venue for your client. ABCey has curated a list of tips for a smooth site selection process that we use to pick the perfect venue!
Make an Initial List of Sites
The first step in our site selection process is doing a general brainstorm of sites that seem to fit the needs of the client. Consider the location, number of guests, and venue-type when compiling the list. Leave no stone unturned and make sure you’re getting a variety of different venues. This makes your client feel like they have options and will show them that you’ve considered everything.
Create a Master Spreadsheet for Your Client
After making an initial list of sites, create a master spreadsheet with a Site Selection tab. This should incorporate all the venues you found and important information about each venue, including pros and cons. For each site, include information on availability, contacts, venue size, location, pricing, and information about the space. Make sure the client can quickly and easily see what the venue has to offer!
Put Together a Style Guide
After the master spreadsheet has been shared with your client, it’s helpful to make a style guide with the key information and images for each of your top picks.
Send an RFP to all of Your Top Venues
An RFP (request for proposal) allows you to easily communicate your event needs to outside vendors. By sending your RFP to the various venues you’re considering, you can get a clearer idea about the availability and pricing for each site. This will help you narrow down your choices. Here are some tips on creating the perfect RFP!
Set Up a Review With Your Client
The next step is setting up a time to chat with your client over the phone or in person to go through each venue. From there, you’ll be able to get a better sense of which sites you can eliminate and which ones are worth visiting in-person.
Go on Site Visits to Check Out Top Venues
Once you and your client have picked your favorite venues, make sure to visit them in-person. This can help you decide if they’re the right fit for your event. There’s no better way to get a sense of the venue and their ability to meet your needs then to set foot on the actual grounds!
Make Your Final Decision
Hopefully the in-person site visits will help you identify your absolute top venues, so you can decide on the one you want to go with. Once you accomplish this, you can start working on the fun stuff, like figuring out event decor and can move forward with your chosen venue!
Which site selection tips did you find to be most helpful?
Did we miss anything? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!
ABCey’s San Francisco Weekend Lineup 7/27-7/29
It’s almost Friday! ABCey brings you this week’s San Francisco Weekend Lineup with the top events happening in the Bay Area! We hope you have plenty of room on your schedule. We have things from Street Soccer USA to TreasureFest to Guaclandia!
NorCal Night Market
July 27-29 | 3pm – 11pm | Free admission | Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, CA
Bring all your friends! It’s the first ever NorCal Night Market with with food, games, art, shopping, and performances at Alameda County Fairgrounds! It’s the perfect place to find unique and amazing gifts for all your loved ones from crafts vendors or commission a special piece by a local artist at our Art Walk!
Guaclandia: Instagram-able Avocado Experience
July 27-28 | Times vary by day | Free admission | SF Marathon Health & Fitness Expo, 2 Marina Boulevard
Love avocados? Express your love at Guaclandia! The makers of the WHOLLY GUACAMOLE® brand invite Bay Area residents to visit Guaclandia, its one-of-a-kind mobile exhibit dedicated to all things avocado. It’ll be filled with Instagram-able photo ops paired with tons of guacamole on the side!
Craving Chinatown Food Fest
Saturday, July 28 | 11am – 2:30pm | Free admission | Waverly Place, San Francisco
Craving Chinatown is the first food festival in the Chinatown community! It will feature a selection of restaurants and foods that bring back memories of the San Francisco Chinatown community. Local Chinatown restaurants will feature unique dishes and snacks as well as food demonstrations! It’ll be the perfect San Francisco weekend!
Street Soccer USA Cup Series 2018
July 28-29 | 9am – 5pm | Free | Union Square, San Francisco
We’re just as upset as you are that the World Cup ended! But not to fret, Street Soccer USA is coming to San Francisco! Teams from all ages and backgrounds will come together to share and to celebrate their diversity and passion for our city in our Social Impact, Corporate, and Open Cup competitions. Find your friends and cheer for your favorite team!
TreasureFest – Hawaii July
July 28-29 | 10am – 4pm | Cost: $5.00 | 500 Ave n, San Francisco, CA 94130
TreasureFest hosts 400+ local artists, makers, designers, antique collectors, under ground food start-ups, & more. Hope your bellies are empty and your dancing shoes are on because there are tons of food trucks and food tents with Hawaiian inspired dishes and local bands will be playing all day long! Also, the first 1000 each day get lei’d! (free leis).
Sunset Campout 2018
July 27-30 | Friday 12:00pm – Monday 9am | Cost: $205+ | Belden Town Resort, Belden CA 95915
Be prepared for a weekend full of amazing artists like Solar, Galen and J-Bird, to get you pumped! There’ll also be muralists and live painters, as well as art installations and interactive pieces. If you’re ready for a weekend full of fun in the river, friends, art, music, and food, pack your bags!
What does your San Francisco weekend lineup look like?
Which events are you most excited about? Did you go to one and loved it? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know about it in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter! We hope to see you there!
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 7/14-7/16
It’s almost Friday! ABCey brings you this week’s Weekend Lineup with the top events in the Bay Area for the upcoming weekend! There is everything from craft fairs and trunk shows to pop ups and block parties!
Weekend Lineup: Renegade Craft Fair
July 15th-16th | 11am-6pm | Free Admission | Fort Mason Center Pavilion, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123
If you love arts and crafts, then this is the place to be this weekend! Over 300 craft makers and designers will be in attendance to show their creativity for this one-of- a kind shopping experience! These vendors will include modern handmade merchandise such as jewelry and accessories, art, fashion, ceramics, candles, illustration, stationery, home decor, cookware, apothecary, and much more!
Burning Man “Beyond the Fence Trunk Show & DJ Party”
Saturday, July 15th | 12pm-6pm | Free Admission | The Great Northern, 119 Utah St., San Francisco, CA
Who’s getting excited for Burning Man?! Shop while you dance to DJs at this years trunk show as you prepare for the desert. Over 30 designers will be selling merchandise perfect for the desert that will make your Burning Man experience one to remember!
SF Etsy Pop Up
Saturday, July 15th | 11am- 5pm | Free Admission | Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA
Etsy is popping up in San Francisco! Come shop from the SF Etsy team or take a crafting class at the heart of the Ghirardelli Square! If you’re planning to stop by for the crafting class, you must RSVP!
Menlo Summerfest
July 15th & 16th | 10am-6pm | Free Admission | Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, California
Summer is here and that means it’s outdoor festival season! This two day event includes live music, art, delicious food and beverages, home and garden exhibits and a lot of fun activities for kids!
Summer of Love Dance Party
Saturday, July 15th| 7pm-10pm | Free Admission | 50 Moraga Ave, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA
Get your groove on and celebrate the Summer of Love’s 50th anniversary! This dance party will play your favorite tunes from the 60s as you get to cruise back in time! There will also be face painting, henna tattoos, classic photo booths and much more!
What events will you be attending this weekend? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Twitter page!
ABCey’s #TechTuesday – The Bosco
#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! In today’s #TechTuesday, we present to you The Bosco!
What is The Bosco?
Looking to upgrade from a classic photobooth? The Bosco will help you do just that! Their five products create extra branding opportunities as well as opportunities to bring photos to life in GIF form. All of their products are sure ways to get people raving about your next event!
GIF Booth
The Bosco was the creator of the OG GIF Booth! GIF booths combine multiple images into an animated picture for guests to send themselves, use for social media, and as branded print outs of the photos! ABCey most recently used one of their amazing GIF Booth’s at the Sephora VIB Rouge SF Flagship Launch Party!
The Multicam
The newest product to the Bosco lineup is the Multicam. Eight cameras all capture one moment creating a really cool 3D effect. Once users take their photos, the images are then branded and uploaded to the interest so users can share them across their social media accounts!
The Bosco Lite
The Bosco Lite is the non-printing version of the GIF Booth. Using an iPad, users make their GIF and then the GIF is branded and shared on the internet! This extremely portable machine is a great addition to any event!
Video Booth
The Video Booth is based off of the video confessional booths you have seen in a lot of reality TV shows, (The Bachelor, any MTV show). Using an iPad, the user records their video. The booth has the capability to brand the video and upload to the internet where users have the opportunity to share the video to their social media pages. Finally, the booth also prints out a branded print as well! The Video Booth combines, video, social media sharing and printing to make an awesome experience for any partygoer!
#Print uses social media hashtags to print out user photos! Partygoers take photos on their phone and use the designated party hashtag and upload the photo to their social media accounts. #Print will find the photo using the hashtag and print a branded version of the photo!
We love The Bosco and have used products at various events! It is a great way to add branding to an event while also giving attendees a fun activity and something to remember!
Will you be using a photobooth for your next event? Want to try something new and exciting like The Bosco? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 12.6.13 – 12.8.13
There’s a ton of fun events taking place all over San Francisco this weekend, as usual. We’ve got a holiday tradition at Yerba Buena, a fun athletic event benefiting the Make-A-Wish foundation, a couple of amazing music performances, and of course an awesome vendor fair. Not to mention, we have a special featured event by DISTRIKT that you just can’t miss!
FEATURED EVENT: Distrikt Holidaze Koktail Party | Saturday, December 7 | 161 Erie St | Time to get all gussied up and fancy schmancy! This awesome event boasts a great list of DJ’s to perform including: DJ Kramer, Ben Seagren, Matt Kramer and many more! Better yet, all proceeds go to DISTRIKT and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make sure to get tickets at a great price online, but don’t worry, because you can still get them at the door! Don’t miss out on this one of a kind holiday event!
1. The Velveteen Rabbit: 25th Anniversary | Friday, December 6 | 11am | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts | Head on down to the Yerba Buena Center for this beloved Bay Area holiday tradition. Told though music, dance and a powerful narrative, The Velveteen Rabbit celebrates the unique relationship between a little boy and his stuffed rabbit, and the enduring power of love. The classic festive costumes and madcap characters definitely bring the perfect amount of holiday cheer!
2. Brave the Bay 2013| Saturday, December 7 | 11am | San Francisco Aquatic Park | Attendees choose which athletic event most appeals to them – or they can participate in all of the activities in the “Santa Triathlon!” Come as a spectator (it’s free to watch) or join the fun to help raise money for Make-A-Wish. You’ll be helping grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. This active, festive holiday-themed event is perfect for San Franciscans of any age!
3. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Tour | Saturday, December 7 | 8pm | Bill Graham Civic Center | Experience a totally different form of music and appreciate a genre beyond its limitation by getting tickets to this Macklemore and Ryan Lewis show. The duo linked up in order to create their unique debut EP titled VS. Witness the coming together of hot genres such as contemporary, and Hip-Hop while also experiencing other less familiar genres. It’s definitely a show you wouldn’t want to miss!
4. Lights Down Low | Saturday, December 7 | 10pm | Monarch | This weekend two popular acts, from slightly different spectrums of the musical scale, will come together for an amazing event. Deniz Kurtel, who is a huge fan of Burning Man and is often the featured centerpiece of Wolf + Lamb, is bringing her influences of deep house music. The other act, Pictureplane, will bring his music mixes that include dark synth, new wave, pop and progressive house music. It should be exciting to see how these two artists will work together this weekend.
5. SF Made | Sunday, December 8 | 10am – 5pm | Fort Mason Center | Check out San Francisco’s favorite local holiday fair. You can discover locally made gift items from 50 different vendors including: jewelry, apparel, gourmet gifts, chocolate and more! Also new this year, enjoy hot mulled wine from Sutton Cellars and yummy holiday knishes from King Knish.
ABCey Presents: Planning & Promoting Your Event with Pinterest
Here at ABCey, we are constantly using Pinterest as a tool for inspiration! As social media has become key for promoting events online, Pinterest is an effective tool in brainstorming and behind-the-scenes planning for events. Being able to make multiple boards and research through relevant content inspires creativity and organization when planning any kind of event!
Find “Pinspiration”
Decorating for events can be the most fun, but challenging part of your event. Decorations and little details tie the event together from start to finish. Whether you’re looking for table setting ideas or invitation inspiration, Pinterest is the perfect tool to start gathering pins. Start pinning!
Organize Your Boards in Categories For Your Event
It’s time to start pulling together every new idea you find in the Pinterest universe onto your own board. This can be done on your own personal page or on the official board for your organization, corporation, nonprofit, etc. Additionally, your boards can be organized by food, decorations, invitations, themes, florals etc.
Interaction with Vendors & Clients
First, as boards are created, the link can be shared with others, whether or not they have an account.We often create event decor boards for our clients, and then share them directly for feedback to make sure we are on the right track. Pinterest also makes it possible to identify other Pinners with similar needs and tastes. Therefore, by liking, pinning and commenting on other posts, you can connect to Pinners with similar interests and build ideas. In addition, if you both follow each other, you can use the private messaging feature to start a more in-depth collaboration.
Read the Crafting/DIY/How-To Articles
Ultimately, Pinterest is known for having some of the best creative content out there. Clicked on pins reconnect you to an article or webpage to show you where the Pin came from. Take advantage of these articles as they provide some great insight on how to make your own projects or decor!
Promote Your Event on Pinterest
Pinterest gears towards connecting everyone to content and ideas that align with their interests and passions. You can even use your own board to actually promote your event which also gives you a chance to start marketing your original content, creating brand awareness and media attention. It is a very visual platform, so choosing compelling photographs & visuals with bright colors will bring your event board more success!
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Love Pinterest and want some event inspiration? Check our Pinterest page for creative event ideas! Let us know how you use Pinterest in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Sources: EventFarm, Capterra, Hello Endless