Mar 30, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
On March 11th, Apple launched the iPad 2 and sold over 300,000 of these units which equated to roughly $150 million in sales for 1 day! In addition, according to a survey conducted by research firm PiperJaffray, 70% of those buying the iPad 2 were new to the device. The photo above is a view of customers waiting in line at the Apple store to preview and probably buy the iPad 2 -- how great is that? So as meeting and event planners, what can we learn from Apple when planning a prod...

Mar 28, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
For the second year in a row, the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) conducted a series of customer roundtable discussions designed to learn about their priorities when it comes to ideal meetings.According to Peter Stockman, President of IACC Americas, "We sought to compare the results with what we heard from customers last year and keep our priorities in check. The focus was on what was important to IACC customers for an exceptional meeting environment."Attend...

Mar 25, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
The selection of AV services, equipment, and personnel to set up and break down the equipment for your event is as important as the event itself. Below are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) posed by event planners, including what Powerpoint presentation equipment is required for a meeting.    How do I rent AV equipment? What is the process? At AV Event Solutions, you may call 1-888-445-9241 and speak to an Account Executive to determine your audiovisual needs, especially if you ar...

Mar 23, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
Are you renting audio visual equipment from a vendor who is taking your business for granted? Or worse yet, providing no visual creativity to the event process? Perhaps, you are not ready to cut the supplier completely out of the picture due to a long-term working relationship, but you would like to know if there are better AV companies out there. Here is a relatively low-risk way to see if you might want to move to another audio visual rental company.Give the Corporate Audio Visual Firm a ...

Mar 21, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
Have you ever asked yourself, what screen size do I need for my meeting or event? Here is a simple guide to follow that will work in almost any situation and give you an optimal projection screen size. You need to take into consideration the following four characteristics of the room the meeting or event will be held in.Screen Height: Take the distance from where the screen will be set up to the back wall and divide by 8. If the distance is 80 feet, the screen height needs to be 10 feet.Screen W...

Mar 18, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
          Wireless Audience Response Systems have come a long way over the last year. Initially, designed as audience polling devices to be used with PowerPoint presentations, these units are now designed to be an integral part of the meeting. However, there have been recent developments with mobile applications on smartphones. Lets examine the differences between using audience response rentals versus downloading a sma...

Mar 16, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
It is a horrific thing that happened in Japan last week. Hundreds dead and missing, cities destroyed, and nuclear power plants in peril. Hopefully, none of us will ever encounter something so massive and unfortunate in our lives. However, this got me thinking about the meeting industry. We hold events all over the world and without a crisis plan for our events, many of us could be in a "micro peril" situation of Japan. So, here are some tips and thoughts on crisis management that ...

Mar 14, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
Kiosks can improve efficiency and productivity at events and probably more importantly, they can save you money. Kiosk rentals can have a printer, card reader, and other peripheral devices attached to them. In addition, they can handle many functions within the same unit and are most often used for the following applications outlined below.Self-Service ConciergeEvent organizations can place touch panel kiosks in strategic locations throughout the venue and provide attendees w...

Mar 11, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
Gas prices are rising. According to the Los Angeles Times, gas prices were the highest in the nation yesterday at $3.85 per gallon. Airlines are raising their rates and President Obama is considering tapping into the national oil reserves. With unrest in the Middle East continuing, it is uncertain when gas prices will return to "normal". How will this impact meetings and what can a planner do? In general, this will mean that less people will attend meetings because they will be unable...

Mar 10, 2011 by DeDe Mulligan
    Why rent Tablet PCs or iPads for your next meeting or event? There are many reasons, but one of the most compelling reasons to consider this slate technology because it is environmentally friendly, cuts costs, and saves resources. Today's blog will focus on energy usage and paper reduction; this is where event and meeting planners can see immediate improvements as the result of adopting the Tablet PC or iPad technology. Energy Usage Traditionally, attendees and meetin...