This may seem like an obvious step, but by carefully putting together this simple document your event will run 10 times smoother, keep everyone on the same page and create responsibility/ownership for day-of-event details and tasks.

1) Develop a To-Do List 

The tasks in the days leading up to the event will be primarily in your arena as planner: contacting the venue to ensure everything is scheduled and good to go; checking the status of any necessary permits; status updates with your catering and other event vendors. 

Write down everything that needs to be done on the day of the event and then develop a complete, detailed timeline for the day. Include every “action item” on the timeline. For example, when will catering arrive?   When do the linens arrive? When will the band be able to access the space for set-up?  

2) Determine the “Who” 

As you put together your event you are dealing with multiple vendors who need to understand their responsibilities to the event and the time frame in which they need to complete them. Taking your timeline from Step 1, determine who is the party responsible  for each of the action items. Include the contact person’s name as well as a phone number to reach them should any questions or concerns arise with their action item. 

3) Provide the “Where” and the “When” 

As part of your timeline be sure to indicate where things are occurring. Not only the address of the venue, but also if catering is loading in through a back loading dock, indicate on the timeline where that dock is located and how it can be accessed.  Name the specific rooms (if any) within the larger venue where your event is taking place. 

Indicate specific times for each activity. If your lighting guys are coming in at 7am, make sure that’s indicated on the timeline.  All the vendors need to work in harmony, so having clear times when action items will be started and completed helps everyone with a smooth delivery and tear-out. 

4) Share the Info with All Parties 

Once all the pieces are laid out and the timeline is finalized, give copies to everyone who’s participating in the production of your event. Make sure you get this information to vendors at least a week prior to your event, so there are no surprises and everyone has time to coordinate with the overall schedule and advise you of any adjustments or possible conflicts that need to be dealt with.  For example, if your venue is aware that lighting is coming in at 7am and their offices aren’t staffed until 8am they will need to know in advance so someone can be on premises to open the doors.  If the tables won’t have linens until 4pm the florist will know not to arrive with centerpieces at 2pm, and so forth. 

Also be sure to include the tear-out schedule, as many venues have strict guidelines for this and all vendors need to be up to speed in order to get back and quickly remove event materials.

Auction Items- There is no bigger draw then what is being offered. When looking for donations or preparing to make purchases (not advised, but an option) focus on your crowd. Who are you targeting this fundraiser to? If it’s a group of finance men think of things such as golf outings or quality rare scotch. For a group of successful women try spa packages or a travel get-away. Don’t aim for that donation for a trip toDubaiif it doesn’t fit for your target. One seemingly amazing donation to you may be a dud if its not of interest to your guests.

Item Placement- ‘Location, Location, Location’ to quote any real estate agent. Item location is just as important as the item itself. Where will items get the most recognition therefore increasing its chance of getting a bid. Consider putting some items near the check-in line to draw attention from guests as they wait to get a ticket or check-in to your event. If you’re hosting a reception, try to avoid keeping everything tucked against the wall; remember ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Showcase your flashy items or your large items to draw in bidders and then support those items with additional offerings.

Item Descriptions- think like a marketer. Each description should include what it is, what purpose it serves, what is included, what is unique, what it would retail (Realistically) and any limiting details. Try to do this is a captivating manor that makes people want your item. If you planned ahead, the item should already appeal to them, now seal the deal with colorful language that puts the reader in the position of “Were this mine…” but keep it short, make it to long and you lose the moment.

Item Display- don’t always rely on a basket. I have been to so many silent auctions where the organization just packaged the items into baskets. While this is simple and it helps bundle items try taking a few items to the next level. If you have clothing pieces, try showcasing them on a mannequin. If you have art then try some lighting. Try to showcase items in a way that they might be enjoyed. ‘How does that Gucci blouse hang?’ is a question a bidder will ask themselves, so show them.

Showcase the big, bundle the small. I have seen two major errors committed with this rule. First, if you have a bunch of smaller donations, consider bundle those that share a theme. Many times I have seen auctioneers’ trying to auction off individual smaller pieces, doing this makes the auction look cluttered and ultimately won’t score you as many bids as your hoping for. Bundling smaller items gives the collective a better chance at getting a higher bid rather than many smaller chances for smaller bids. Second, I have seen other auctioneers’ make the opposite mistake and bundle too many of the bigger pieces together. Do you have a donation for a flight and travel luggage? While it might seem second nature to put the two together, each has a good chance of drawing large individual bids.

In honor of this weekend being the 41st annual Pride celebration in San Francisco, we at Organized Chaos Events want to wish everyone a happy Pride. Here is a picture from last years VIP party that we planned, as we celebrate the community I urge everyone to have as much fun as possible and to please be careful!

1)      Cosmopolitan- made with a full shot of vodka and then half shots of triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice; one or two of these will have your feeling glamorous

2)      Martini- two parts gin (or vodka if you prefer) to one part dry vermouth. One it dryer, use less vermouth. And to your question of shaken vs. stirred. Shaken touches the ice less but becomes wore diluted.

3)      Manhattan- Classic cocktail and personal favorite of a good friend the Manhattan is a stirred and strained blend of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. The cherry it’s served with adds a punch of color and sweetness.

4)      Japanese Slipper- A little rarer than some of the others but the Japanese Slipper is equal parts Midori melon liqueur, Cointreau and lemon juice. Provides a refreshing sophisticated experience.

5)      B-52- Named after a long-range bomber for its bang, the B-52 is equal parts Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream and Grand Mariner over ice. A layered shot version exists as well if you want to take it one step further.

6)      Brandy Alexander- John Lennon referred to this one as an adult milkshake, being equal parts brandy and brown crème de cacao and then doubled with cream.

7)      Grasshopper- A delicious minty desert drink the Grasshopper is three fifths green crème de menthe and on fifth each of white crème de cacao and cream.

8)      Harvey Wallbanger- Order long and ditch the straw. The Harvey Wallbanger is one shot of vodka over ice in a tall glass; topped with OJ and a floating half-shot of Galliano.

9)      Tom Collins- The Tom Collins reminds the drinker of simpler summer times, when the living is easy. Equal parts gin and lemon juice, a spoonful of sugar and soda.

10)  Margarita While these change from venue to venue, you won’t notice after a few. One shot of tequila shaken with a half shot of Cointreau and lemon juice. Served over ice in a salt rimmed glass.

How does it feel.

• What feeling do you want your event to have, despite the decor you may add, there is a drastically different feeling between a hotel conference room and a mansion space. What do you want your guest to feel while at your event, this is the biggest step in evaluating a venue. Once you have a feeling established, the choices are less broad and the real evaluation can begin.

Act like your buying a house.

• Condition of the grounds and parking.
• Condition of carpet, paint, and decor.
• Condition and appropriately sized draperies/skirting.
• Adequate room size and capacity to hold event.
• Flexibility to adjust room layout/tables.
• No visual obstructions within room.
• Indoor lighting (flexibility to adjust/dim sections).
• Ability to control natural light.
• Limited noise distractions in hallways/behind walls.
• Event room away from kitchen.
• Nearby restroom access.
• Nearby medical access.

What are your options.

• Can you bring in outside catering, do they offer catering?
• Can you bring in a bar?
• What are the electrical limitations of the space?
• Does the space have AV and sound equipment?
• How far can you take your decoration themes?
• Do you need to get any special permits?
• Can you have open flames?
• How early will they accept deliveries of supplies for your event?
• Will a representative be on-site?

These are just some of the common things to consider when evaluating a venue. Each event will have a different set of needs, but these baseline pointers should help keep you organized when the time comes to venue scout.

But have no fear, Madamopoulos is here with some tips and tricks to have you up and hosting in no time.

1. Home Decor. First things first, take pride in your house or Apartment. Chances are you have some pretty unique things in your home that you enjoy, showcase them! there is nothing a friend or guest likes more than coming to your house and seeing that it isn’t an ikea showroom.
2. Cheap lights, big results. Want to make a dramatic impact on the lighting in your home? Buy some simple uplight’s from Home depot, about $10 a pop and pick up some gel from a local lighting supply company or online, again about $10 a sheet. Cut the gels and place over the uplights to add an instant boost to the way your house is lit. Another tip, amber and pink lighting make everyone look better. This one time investment, can have results for years to come.
3. Cook with your guests. Don’t worry about having everything cooked ahead of time. Have a cocktail with your friends while you finish up dishes with them. One of my tricks is to have everyone bring over a semi-prepared dish and then have them explain to everyone what’s in it and how to make it as they finish cooking it. This keeps prep and costs down while also sharing recipes with your friends.
4. Have plenty of wine. The key to a good dinner party really is the wine. Try having a few, also try and have a port to serve with dessert or switch things up a bit by serving Pisco.
5. Don’t set an end time. As much as you think this is necessary, don’t. Putting an end time on your dinner party isnt necessary, your guests will not stay all night and when the time is right they will leave.
6. Clean up tomorrow. Don’t worry about cleaning up that night, it wont hurt to let the mess sit over night, and after a great party the last thing you want to do is clean all night. Take the time to relax instead and then in the morning it wont seem like such a hassle.

What is your events Scent Story?

The use of smell to enhance an experience has been an old trick for some space planners. Some notable scent experiences can be found at the Hotel Bellagio Gardens, where floral smells are pumped in to enhance the room. The newly built Aria also implements scent technology throughout the space to enhance the experience and aromatherapy to ‘control’ the mood. Its very hard to be mad when your surrounded by a wonderful smell.

Do you want your candy store themed party to smell like candy? Maybe your favorite smell is lavender and you would love guests at your wedding to walk through the smell as they enter your reception. These ideas and many more can be easily done with scent technology provided by Scentevents. Another unique way to add an element of scent to your event could be to bring in an aromatherapy oxygen bar. We just used one in our Microsoft Lounge at TechCrunch Disrupt Conference, it was a huge success.

Oxygen Bar, its ok to inhale.

How do you feel about including scent in your event? What are some ways that you could see incorporating the sense of smell into your next party?

Be prepared to put your go-to cocktail order on hold; restaurants, caterers and event planners are catching on to the idea of Culinary Cocktails. Welcome to the land of egg whites, honey and gin; culinary Cocktails were one of the top 10 trends to watch in 2011 reports the National Restaurants’ Associations annual survey of chefs.

What is a culinary cocktail? If you haven’t had one yet, get out from under your rock and check out some of our favorites listed below. But, a culinary cocktail is really a work of art; blending fresh ingredients such as basil, exotic mushrooms, cucumbers, cilantro and jalapeno with spirits like bourbon, gin and vodka. Long gone are the days of creamy super sweet drinks such as the tired Cosmo, being replaced by new heavy hitters such as Pepper and Basil infused gin gimlets.

Specialty designed cocktails for your event offer another level of luxury at the same cost as a general open bar, they also allow you to bring your personality or brand to the mix. Think about it, if every time a guest is ordering a drink and it happens to be a specialty cocktail prepared for and named after your company, they’re going to remember it.  Think this is just a fad? Try telling that to Best Beverage Catering, who has on staff Mixologists who do just that,  they do it very well too.

Give this recipe a try or check out some of the venues below and get on board before your left out:

Balsamic Strawberry Mojito:

Handful of mint leaves

2 medium-sized strawberries

1 tablespoons brown sugar

3 lime wedges

1 shot of quality rum, we recommend 10 Cane

6 ounces Sparkling water

1/2 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar

In a mixing glass muddle the mint leaves, strawberries, lime wedges and brown sugar. Stir in the rum, sparkling water and balsamic vinegar. Add Ice and enjoy!

Bourbon and Branch Interior

Bourbon and Branch

501 Jones

Located in an old speakeasy, this venue is not only and amazing experience but the cocktails are fantastic, I recommend the cucumber gimlet, you can’t go wrong.

Alembic Interior

Alembic

1725 Haight Street

A beautiful venue with great lighting and strong drinks, I recommend either the blue steel or the promissory note.

Blackbird Interior

Blackbird

2124 Market Street

Well priced with a hip old school vibe to the place, try the leather-bound book to get you in the mood and the Northern Star to get you home.

Organized Chaos is proud to announce its brand new Website: Organizedchaosevents.com. Our marketing director and social media manager Joseph Adams has been working tirelessly to get our online presence updated.

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