Who has time to type in an entire website anymore? When you get down to the nitty gritty, it’s just a pain to try to read and memorize all the parts of a URL, and then type them in on your keyboard. It’s even tougher to try to type them into your phone.

If you miss a letter or leave out just one keystroke on the tiny virtual keyboard, you’ll end up, well, who knows where. It is for this very reason that there are high-tech shortcuts out there that save you from keying in the exact address.

One such shortcut, and a sure-fire way to increase traffic to a website, is a QR code. These nifty salt and pepper colored squares are made to be scanned by Smartphones, and they direct anyone who scans them to a predetermined website, chosen by the creator.

The Special Treatment

QR codes are the latest and greatest way to market your product, business, website, or all three. All you have to do is create the QR code, and set it up to take anyone who scans it directly to your website.

If you want to gain some real momentum, create a special offer that corresponds to the QR code, so anyone who scans your code will get some special treatment just for visiting the site. This works well as an incentive for people to explore your business and products more too.

Where Do They Go?

Now that we’ve covered what the QR codes do and how they can help market your business, what about the question of where to put them?

QR Code Posters are made for QR codes. All you have to do is create a code by entering the web address you want the code to link to, save the image of the QR code you’ve generated, and TicketPrinting.com will take care of the rest.

There are literally hundreds of different designs to choose from when it comes to QR Code Posters. You’ll want to pick a unique look that speaks to your brand, and entices people into scanning the QR code that’s displayed with it.

Post-Printing

Once your QR Code Posters are printed, start posting them! Put them up in places you know people are likely to have their phones handy. Two great places are bus stops or the train platforms. Or, if you live in a smaller town, try your local café or community center.

The more people see these easy-to-scan posters, the more people will visit your site and know about your brand.

Save Your Thumbs is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

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On March 15, the Mary Louis Academy held its annual Spirit Night. The Mary Louis Academy is an all girls Catholic Academy in Jamaica Plains, New York. Spirit Night is “One of TMLA’s oldest traditions…dating back to 1940 when it was known as Sports Night.” All four class years join together in a variety of competitions. The 2012 Spirit Night Theme was “Hollywood Movie Studios.” The Student Council Coordinator, Beth, explained, “It is a school competition used to bring unity among the grades.”

Something to Look Forward to

Many organizations such as The Mary Louis Academy host annual recurring events. Annual events are a traditional way to bring members of the organization together, raise awareness for a cause, or bring in funds for projects that exist outside the regular organizational budget. While all events have similarities, there are special expectations for ones that reoccur.

Annual events build community and loyalty among attendees. Some families look forward to attending the same cultural festival each year. A proud alumni might looks forward to returning to her alma mater for the homecoming celebration. Traditions build around the tradition.

Tradition and Success

Annual events rely on wisdom and tradition.  Often there are elements that absolutely must be included, an opening dinner in honor of a Provost or a Sadie Hawkins dance. Some are formal, some are strange, like MIT’s annual Piano Drop. Whatever the tradition, it is an important feature of the event.

Each year, organizations and planners learn from the past year’s event, so they’re able to host more effectively and more efficiently the next year.  Organizations can learn what worked and what didn’t. By reviewing the event when it’s over, the committee can come up with ways to make the following event more enjoyable and memorable to everyone.

Marketing Annual Events

While it’s true, annual events will have more built in buzz than one time gatherings, organizers shouldn’t rely solely on word or mouth or loyalty to ensure attendees. For even the most established recurring events, it pays to look at different ways to advertise in order to keep bringing in new folks.

Traditional print media is great. Posters, flyers, and bill boards will get the message on the streets, but if the budget is tight, events can benefit from plenty of free advertising. It’s simple and quick to build Facebook and Google+ pages where information about the upcoming event can be posted and shared. A Twitter account dedicated to the event can be used to share small snippets of information. A more traditional website, even a simple one, can help keep folks informed. For organizers who aren’t comfortable with technology, it might help to arrange an interview on the local radio or news station or with the local newspaper. There are many ways to share information about the event.

Have Fun!

The event at the Mary Louis Academy was run by the school. “Students sold tickets and got the student body excited about the event,” Beth explained. For her the best parts of the event were the “students dances and cheer and the general vibe in the gymnasium.”

The most important part of hosting an annual event is the outcome. Have fun and enjoy your tradition.

Event of the Week: Mary Louis Academy Spirit Night is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

The tranquil waters of the Middle Fork River in West Glacier bring peace and a strong sense of belonging to the hearts of 14 women each year. For three days, these women cast their flies into the water and allow their battles with breast cancer to drift away.

Western Montana’s Casting for Recovery program currently has 11 community volunteers who support women with all different stages of breast cancer by providing them with an all expenses paid fly-fishing retreat. Community volunteers lend a guiding hand and are “River Helpers” who share their knowledge of the river with participants. Those struggling with cancer may find it hard to remember that they are not alone, but Casting for Recovery works to reverse this trend. As one participant expressed at the end of last year’s retreat, it was the “first time she felt strong community support.”

“My Heart Just Keeps Smiling”

The three-day retreats include more than just fishing. Medical counseling and group sessions fill the last day, providing time to reflect and build a network of support. Participants leave with new friends, new skills, and renewed hope. “It was an incredible weekend,” one woman stated. “My heart just keeps smiling.”

Casting for Recovery is a national organization but is rooted in local communities across the country. It was brought to the winding banks of the Middle Fork River by a woman moving from the East coast who had herself been a participant. While she was unable to make the first retreat in Western Montana, community members helped continue her mission to bring women with breast cancer closer together and provide them with therapeutic skills through fishing.

The Connection Between Fly Fishing and Breast Cancer

While the connection to fishing and breast cancer recovery may not at first seem apparent, participants come to an understanding by the end of the weekend. A participant shared with the group, “I was grateful to have been chosen, but I didn’t yet see the connection between fly fishing and breast cancer. Sunday morning, standing in the river, I got it.”  At the end of the weekend she shared her experience:

Fly-fishing is a “be here now” activity. It takes focus, balance and being centered, physically and emotionally, to stand in the river and cast. Living well after the diagnosis of breast cancer is best done in the moment as well. It takes focus, balance and being centered to avoid feeling victimized by the diagnosis or anxious about any future recurrence.  In both fly-fishing and living with breast cancer, the best that one can do is “be here now” and hope.

Fundraising with Film Tickets

Casting for Recovery in Northern Montana typically has one major fundraiser each year to support the program. This year, they have teamed up with the Fly Fishing Film Tour to show a screening of the film to the community.  Admission tickets, donations, and raffle tickets sold at the event provide the funds needed to make the special annual retreat possible. TicketPrinting.com has been thrilled to be able to play our small role of printing to help make their fundraiser successful. We love working with nonprofits and small community organizations which are making big changes in lives across the country.

To learn more about Casting for Recovery, visit their website: castingforrecovery.org

Casting for Recovery: A Current of Hope Flowing through Western Montana is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

On March 10, 2012, the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin held a fundraising event: A Ride on the Wild Side with Jack Hanna. All proceeds from the event went to the Arctic Passage Project to fund new habitats for polar bears and seals.

Jack Hanna is a well-known zookeeper who was once the director of the Columbus Zoo. He is a recognized celebrity zookeeper who has done much to raise awareness about conservation and wild animal issues for many years.

Keeping Everyone in Mind

The sold out, adult only event offered both VIP and general admission ticket opportunities, so individuals of varying means were able to attend and contribute. Tickets for the event cost $75. There was also a VIP reception with Jack Hanna at the beginning of the evening offered to individuals willing to purchase a $150 ticket; this included a bottle of wine and preferred seating. For $1000 individuals could purchase a table. There was also a wildlife show hosted by Jack Hanna.

The lead up to the event included a raffle for a Toyota Prius, in keeping with the conservation theme.

Different funders learn about events in different ways. The organizers of the Ride on the Wild Side event reached out to their potential patrons through many different types of media: postcard invitations sent to 20,000 people, ads in local magazines, newspapers, newsletter, e-blasts, Facebook, Twitter, and a digital billboard

The organizers relied on traditional forms of media and word of mouth, which remains the most important and effective selling strategy even as technology advances.

Defining Success

“We received the most comments about the digital billboard. However, we did not survey attendees, so we do not have an accurate way to measure this,” Cathy Sheets of the Henry Vilas Zoo told me.

For those planning similar advance, Cathy offered this advice, “Begin planning a year in advance. Lay out the event in as much detail as possible, monitor advertising effectiveness. Define your goals clearly. Remain flexible and calm under pressure. Don’t forget to enjoy the event, and make sure you have a great photographer and/or videographer to record the event.”

After the event, the zoo posted galleries of photos to its site, so visitors could remember the experience.

For Cathy, the highlight of the event was, “The ability to share an important conservation message and raise funds for a vitally needed capital project by providing attendees with up close animal experiences and the opportunity to meet Jack Hanna and be inspired by his experience and stories.”

Event of the Week: A Ride on the Wild Side is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

These days, the Internet dominates many marketing channels. But don’t throw away those hefty catalogs in frustration just yet. Our perceptions of print marketing have changed, but our need for it hasn’t. In fact, it may be just what your business needs.

Here are 6 reasons not to put all your eggs in the e-commerce basket:

1. You can’t draw on the Internet. Well, you sort of can. It’s called Paint. However, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it doesn’t match up to Posters or Flyers in all their paper glory. Think random notes, local artist tags, or space for doodling.
2. The Internet doesn’t jump out at you. Well, it used to. But thank goodness it doesn’t anymore. And any site that still has pop-up ads is probably going to give you a virus anyway. A bold and colorful Poster will stand out to anyone who passes by.
3. Posters and Flyers stick around. Unlike a web page, you can’t close a Flyer when it’s posted to your local café window or bus stop. Flyers get passed on and tend to end up in some pretty interesting places, so they can reach people you never thought possible.
4. The Internet doesn’t stay the same. It changes constantly. It even has bugs that prevent it from working properly. I guarantee you’ve never missed a Poster or Flyer due to technical difficulties.
5. You can’t pass the Internet out on the street. Again, you sort of can. It’s called Foursquare and people use it to advertise locally. But for those that don’t have Foursquare and for those that do, you can advertise with an interesting Poster or Flyer. No download or plug-in required!
6. Posters and Flyers are REAL! Yes, of course the Internet is real. But it’s certainly not physically present in the same way a well designed Poster or Flyer is. Give people something tangible, something they can feel, something they can touch. Give them Posters and Flyers!

With Posters and Flyers, you have the option of choosing from hundreds of templates. You can also create a custom Poster or Flyer that is completely unique to you and your audience. Or if you’d like to add your own, personal touch, choose a template that lets you upload your own image!

6 Reasons to Keep It Real is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Coffee Rock Live: For the Love of Good Bands

Talent isn’t always enough. Many great artists and musicians lack exposure and audiences miss out. Recognizing this, friends and music lovers Kevin DeMine and Jim Callery joined forces to found Coffee Rock Live. Their organization helps local bands from the Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington DC areas get the recognition they deserve. By promoting local and independent music through online means and local concerts, Coffee Rock Live gives talented bands a much needed boost.

The First Event

The first event of the year took place on February 25^th and featured the bands Minimus the Poet, Words On Paper, Evergreen and Jane Rittenhouse. It was “held at a local community hall in Hagerstown, MD where many members of the bands playing were originally from.”

The First Promotion

Kevin explains how the bands were promoted: “Our promotion for this event was done by social media outlets, flyers, and word of mouth.  We used Facebook to create events and event notifications, which were sent to each of the bands who were able to invite all of the fans, friends, and families. Flyers were made by a local production company and placed at locations throughout Maryland in which they were appropriate such as coffee houses, open mic nights, and music retailers.  By word of mouth associated with the event through its staff, bands, and advance ticket selling we were able to spread the word through much of the local community which assisted the most in helping us reach our goals.”

Coffee Rock Live was able to engage their intended audience through a variety of outlets, online and off. Social media allowed them to reach a wide audience, and it allowed for many people to take place in the promotion. Information about the show could be posted and reposted by others.

For the event, the bands were tasked with selling the tickets themselves. Presales were made at a lower price and allowed the group to gain a better understanding of how many people would be attending the event.

The Night of the Show

“Each of the artists that had performed did a fantastic job and we could not have asked for better,” Kevin says. “The reception to the event was our biggest personal highlight, as most attendees were impressed by how the show was presented.  We had also been noted by some of the visitors that it had been the best local show they’d seen in that area.”

Preplanning To Prevent Problems

The show went great, but it didn’t take off without a hitch. There were some issues with timing that first night. The venue wasn’t ready at the expected time. Thanks to good planning, this was only a temporary obstacle. The team had planning meetings before the show and worked with checklists to ensure that foreseeable issues could be dealt with ahead of time.

Kevin also suggests keeping in touch with the talent, saying, “We would suggest making sure that all participants in the event are in contact with the event staff in case there had been any changes in their arrangements.”  This ensures everyone is on the same page the day of the event.

Event of the Week: Promoting Local Music is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Every January, Christi, a registered nurse organizes a party bus “dive bar crawl” for a group of healthcare professionals. Each year has its own theme, and this year’s was wigs. Christi talks with the bars ahead of time to let them know the bus will be coming. She also plans on-board activities for the partygoers on the bus.

The Dive Bar Crawl Wig Party was “not a fundraiser.” No money was made.  Christi and the organizers charged just enough to cover the cost of the event, and at $45, it was well worth it for a night out!

This year, attendees wore hot pink wrist bands Christi ordered from TicketPrinting.com. This helped identify the group at the various venues they visited. Christi was able to keep track of attendees because she could tell by the wristbands who had paid and checked-in. It also gave the bus driver an easy way to know who was allowed on the bus. Christi, “thought they would be fun especially because we printed ‘adult supervision required’ on them.”

Of course, the wigs also helped to raise the group’s profile. Most of the bars on the dive crawl were even thoughtful enough to mix up a hair or wig themed drink just for the attendees.

This year’s event really drew a crowd, though it wasn’t advertised beyond word of mouth. There was a similar event last January, and folks were eager to attend again. In fact, Christi had to turn people away because the bus was full.

Not every great event has to be planned on a grand scale, nor do all events require complicated and coordinated marketing and advertising strategies. As Christi and the attendees of The Dive Bar Crawl Wig Party proved, some events just speak for themselves.

What’s next for Christi and her group? In July, they’ll host a party barge. It should be a great success!

Don’t Wig Out! Wristbands for Easy Event Management is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

The benefits of music education are vast and varied, but sources for fine arts educational funding are, unfortunately, not. A commitment to music education is all too often a commitment to seeking out donations to music programs, and every school has its own solution.

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy has made good on both those commitments.

Serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the private Catholic school is located on multiple campuses in the Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods of the city of Boston. The faculty, administration, and staff, including M. L. Greenidge, the Director of Advancement, pride themselves on an “exciting and challenging curriculum based on high academic benchmarks,” including, the “largest fine arts music program in Boston for elementary schools.” Every week, six hundred fifty students at PJPIICA take music classes.

PJPIICA’s year-round fundraising campaign involves the sale of Bishop’s Blend Coffee, a premium coffee roasted exclusively for the Academy by Caffe Appasionato Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington. One half of the proceeds support overall student experience. More information on purchasing Bishop’s Blend Coffee can be found here on the school’s website.

But, as in most schools, there is always a need for more funding.

To help support this amazing music program, along with other student needs including scholarships and reading and writing literacy, the school runs their annual Big Bucks Raffle, a cash raffle. This year’s raffle will be held on March 30^th, with the students selling tickets beginning in March when they return from their vacation.

For the last two years, raffle ticket printing was done in-house, but this year the decision was made to outsource the job to a professional online ticket printer. Greenidge had never used such a service, and didn’t really know anyone who had, so she went to Google and came across TicketPrinting.com.

The website, she found, was “easy to use,” so she had no trouble designing the tickets just as she wanted them. She chose the Color Money Raffle Ticket, and when her order arrived a few days later, she was impressed with the product and the quality. “I didn’t know what I was buying,” she explained, and had never purchased raffle tickets online before, so she “just went based on the website, which was accurate.”

The turnaround, Greenidge says, was “faster than I expected.” Her tickets actually arrived before she thought they would, and she was very happy with the order, which exceeded her expectations but was still very affordable.

Lift Up Your Voice: Arts Education Fundraising at Pope John Paul II Academy is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

You need a great way to get the word out about your cause. Word of mouth is a good start, but you need some pizzazz to attract a wider range of supporters within the community, something that will shine. You want to draw people’s attention to the cause you support and invite them to support it with you.

Promote your cause easily and stay within budget by printing custom wristbands. Print wristbands in any color or design for you and your supporters to wear around town to show others how important the cause is. You can raise awareness for a cause any time or place with wristbands.

When printing wristbands, it helps to choose a bright or bold color that people can easily associate with your cause.

Help Others Spread the Word

If you want to plan an event to raise awareness for a cause, you can print event wristbands for each person who attends your event to wear. When the event has come to an end, attendees will have a nice piece of memorabilia to take with them and remind them of how crucial it is to support your cause.

Encourage people to keep their wristbands on for a day or two after the event is over, so they can proudly show off their support for the cause. Other members of the community will see these wristbands, and that will prompt them to support your cause, too.

3 Most Popular Causes to Support

• Breast cancer awareness is one of the top causes supported today. You can easily print wristbands and also event tickets that include the breast cancer support theme and design right on them.
• Military support awareness is another cause that many people support. Get the local community on board with supporting the military by hosting an event and printing event tickets and wristbands with a military support design and theme.
• Drug abuse prevention and awareness is something else that strikes home for many. Promote drug abuse prevention at any event with wristbands, and print event tickets with the drug abuse prevention design template.

Wristbands are simple to print, inexpensive to order, and comfortable to wear. They are made out of Tyvek, a flexible paper-like plastic material that is easy to secure on anyone’s wrist quickly. People will take notice when they see unique and bold wristbands supporting the cause that really matters.

Band Together for a Cause with Wristbands is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Hosting an event is like putting together the pieces of a puzzle: everything has to fit just right for the finished product to look great. You’ve gotten your sponsors, procured materials for set-up, and sent out invitations to a hefty guest list. But there is something missing from your upcoming event.

For any public event, promotion and advertising are important components. Without promotion, even those who RSVPed and said they would show up may decide to opt out for a more favorable gathering, especially if there is no buzz about your event or party.

The question is, then, what is the best way to promote an event?

Most people have a limited amount of money to spend on advertising, and require a maximum return on their investment. Here are some ways to quickly and easily promote your upcoming event, without breaking the piggy bank.

Go Postal

Print posters and flyers to promote your next event. Put them up around your local event area, or anywhere around town that you can. Choose from hundreds of different templates for specific types of events, or create a custom poster or flyer that is perfect for that one-time special event.

Find out which local businesses will allow you to post your flyers on their community boards. Look up the law in your local area to find out if you can post flyers in places with high pedestrian traffic. For example, bus and train stops are great places hang posters that will catch commuters’ eyes and get them thinking about your event.

Promote your Sponsors

Want an easy way to pay homage to those generous sponsors who’ve given you the means to put on your fabulous event? Upload their logos onto your posters and flyers. Every time someone looks at a poster or flyer, they will be able to instantly recognize the sponsors and can begin to associate them with your event.

It’s easier than it sounds. Many of the templates available for printing posters and flyers already have areas dedicated to uploading images. They’re perfect for sponsor logos. All you have to do is request an image from each sponsor. And there’s no doubt each sponsor will be excited about the prospect of extra publicity for their companies, in addition to the guarantee that more people will hear about and attend your event.

Big, Bold, Better Publicity is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

In many ways, it seems like budgets are getting tighter and tighter these days. Business owners everywhere are searching for more cost-efficient ways to promote and advertise their services to a wider range of consumers. The race to attract as many people to your business as possible, and by any means necessary, is on. What small business owners want to know is, where do they fit in?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to build a great client base. What you do have to do, is spend time strategically planning out how to reach your potential customers. There is no denying that we live in a digital world, but rest assured, print advertising is still very much alive and well. In fact, printing flyers is one of the cheapest ways to market your business today.

Template for Success

There are literally hundreds of colorful and unique templates you can choose from to print flyers and posters for your business. It all comes down to deciding what images are desirable to use in marketing your business and its services.

A new nightclub owner might choose to include the image of a dancer on his flyers, while a sports bar owner would more likely choose something like the image of a football player or a goal post. Businesses will want to choose colors and pictures that catch people’s eyes and make them want to see or learn more about what’s advertised.

Cater to Your Needs

If you have something more specific in mind for your flyer or poster, and you’ve spent time dreaming about your ideal business image, try printing custom posters and flyers that are made just for you.

What’s more, you can upload the logos and images of your partners and affiliated businesses right onto your flyer. That way, when you post your flyers in areas where lots of potential customers will see them, they will also be able to see your partner’s images, all on one convenient flyer.

For small businesses with small budgets, these posters and flyers are as low-cost and high-quality as they come. Start printing for as little as $1.04 per flyer. Depending on what city or town your business is in, you will want to research the best places to legally post your flyers. Once you have this information, the possibilities for reaching potential customers are endless.

Big Benefits for Small Businesses is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

You’ve just been invited to sell your products at a local outdoor venue that has booked the show of the year. Great! But when you’re actually at the show, how will you get the attendees to buy your items? If you’re at a music concert, not by calling out to them, as they probably won’t be able to hear you.

Even if you’re at a trade show or an outdoor market and all your items are neatly displayed before you, all the commotion between the customers and the other businesses trying to get their attention can result in people completely missing your booth.

What’s the Best Way to Get Noticed?

Outdoor banners are one of the top marketing techniques available, and they are showing up everywhere in places you find high volumes of people. In a scenario where people are pressed for time and are bombarded by an almost endless amount of things to spend their money on, like a trade show or outdoor market, putting banners up around your booth is an easy way to catch people’s eyes.

Your products sell themselves, so the key to increased sales in your book is getting people to come to your booth. Print custom-made, giant posters, banners, or signs with your company name and logo right on them. Choose from unlimited colors, and, with state-of-the-art inkjet printing technology, enjoy the beautiful results.

The Value of Branding Your Image

Printing custom banners for display at an outdoor show can also help you brand your business image. Are people having trouble associating your company name or logo with the business services you provide? What better way to mesh the two together than to present them as one on a unique banner!

Many businesses are currently looking for ways to cut costs. Outdoor banners are printed on waterproof vinyl and are extremely durable, so that you can reuse them time, and time again. In addition, all posters are printed with UV stable ink, which last 3-5 years. That’s a long time and a lot of use from one print job.

Attract people to your booth at the next outdoor event you attend with custom banners and posters printed specifically to your liking. Banners (and some posters) come with grommets for easy and secure set up that allows you to do your job without having to worry about how they look. Concentrate on networking and selling products, while your unique banners and posters attract the attention for you.

Come Rain or Shine: Keep Your Business above Water is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Job fair season is rapidly approaching, and employers are amping up their recruiting departments to go out there and tap into the resources at hand. The goal is to seek out the best of the best. Employers tend to look for top-notch candidates who exhibit specific characteristics that will help them succeed in a particular position.

Employers have their choice when it comes to job fairs. Choosing the right job fairs to attend is an important task, especially with regard to the type of candidates that recruiters will be meeting and interviewing. Even if an employer has spent time planning out which job fairs to attend, it is still crucial to attract the cream of the crop within each fair.

How to Attract Attention

The easiest way to attract people’s attention at a job fair is to present them with something that they can’t forget. It’s either that, or mastering the art of first impressions (I’d choose the former, but that’s just me). Now what’s more visually stunning than a large, colorful, custom-made banner?

Printing large format posters, banners and signs are great ways to promote awareness for a particular employer in a situation where so many other employers are vying for that attention. When it comes to poster sizes, bigger really is better. The bigger the poster, the more opportunity the business will have to catch the eye of potential employees.

Employees are Consumers Too

Don’t forget that potential employees are consumers too: they may initially be attracted to a business much in the same way any other consumer would be. Rather than using neutral tones, print a banner with the company logo in vivid, bold colors and see how fast people line up to be interviewed.

These banners, posters and signs are all custom-made to fit what each customer wants and needs, and satisfaction is guaranteed or the order will be reprinted. Choose from an unlimited amount of colors; the full Pantone PMS spectrum is up for grabs!

Banners and large format posters can be printed up to 1440 DPI for absolutely amazing color matches, vibrant images and sharp lines. Vinyl banners come with grommets for easy, on-the-spot hanging, so there’s no need to waste time setting up at the fair. Envision the company logo, bright and brilliant, on a massive banner attracting the best talent that job fair has to offer. Now that’s a great reason to print!

Calling All Employers! is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Frank Murdock hopes he can help raise $3,000 for his favorite local charity.

The long-term fundraising goal is $10,000 over the next two years. In the short term, they hope to raise $3,000 to get started.

The group has held successful fundraisers in the past, but they have also experienced some fundraising disappointments, so it’s important that they get this one right. Murdoch plans to offer the board his own pitch for a music and cultural festival, dubbed “The Diversity of Community and Communication.” He likes the theme of diversity because the program addresses “the diverse ways in which to provide information to all of us equally.” The theme would allow him to “incorporate multiple things from the community to our advantage and still press our agenda: more inclusive inclusion of persons with disabilities into the community.”

Murdoch envisions an event showcasing a diversity of cultures, especially in regards to food and music. If his idea is approved by the organization, he will then pitch his idea to various sponsors.

“The first thing I’ll do,” he explains, “is pitch my idea about diversity and equality… then talk about the richness of diversity in the community appealing to their cultural backgrounds and appreciation for food.” He would also discuss how the proposed program could create “more access [for recipients] for everything from cultural awareness events to important governmental practices and then into their pockets: sales and advertising.”

To create a diversity of music, Murdoch would like to approach a diversity of artists. With help from others in the organization, he has complied a list of acts he hopes will agree to perform, including Acadian musician Nellie Harrington, indie group The Wooden Wings, classic rockers Strazza & Company, blues musician Dege Legg, rockabilly group The Howdies, Cajun rock and rap artist Michael Juan Nunez, zydeco groups Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, Curley Taylor, and Rosie Ledet, and Southern Creole Blues group Henry Gray and the Cats. In addition, he hopes to showcase “an interactive act in between set-ups and breakdowns,” including belly dancers from long-time supporters, Desert Shadows, Oasis Bellydance Studio, and Trybe Habibi Bizarre.

In order to arrange for a prize draw, Murdoch wants to approach local restaurants, to showcase the diversity of food in the community including Cajun, Creole, Asian, Italian, Mexican, and Middle-eastern cuisine. He knows that many businesses “are happy to provide a thirty-dollar gift certificate to promote their restaurant at the gig,” and adds that he could further help his sponsors by providing them with additional publicity. If his pitch goes forward, “several weeks before [the event] people see four thousand fliers around the city and residential areas to inform people that there is going to be an event and who is sponsoring it.”

Murdoch advises those hoping to pitch a similar music festival to think about reaching the broadest possible audience. Of course, you want to create something new and different. Figure out who your crowd is, and then “appeal to that crowd’s mental and emotional aspects that will get them to help you out.”

Planting the Seeds: Frank Murdock Hears a Need is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Nancy Salas-Herrera teaches art and literature at Peace and Education Coalition, Second Chance Campus

Salas-Herrera’s love of teaching originated, she believes, in eight grade, when Ms. Rosemary Shedor at the Sacred Heart of Jesus asked her to teach a history lesson. She remembers, “I jumped at the opportunity!” and she “even threw in a pop quiz.” Then, she realized, “I knew I had to—not wanted, had to—get into teaching.” She wanted to “share, interpret, discuss, deconstruct…to inspire others.”

She describes her art classes as “organic and free,” including “touches of the traditional with a flavor of the unpredictable. I like to incorporate functional crafts, like paper lanterns and loom knitting, and multicultural art from around the world.” To imbue her students with a sense of ownership, she requires them to evaluate and critique their own work, with the help of a guiding rubric, and to defend the grade they feel they deserve.

As a literature teacher, she employs a decidedly interdisciplinary technique, bringing “art, food, film” into the lesson and using whatever methods she can think of to illuminate the subject. While teaching The Kite Runner, for instance, she invited an Afghani restaurateur to cater the class and speak about his homeland. The students also made and flew their own kites, researched the history of Afghanistan and, after they finished the book, watched the film. Other innovative lesson plans have included making papier-mâché helmets for Beowulf, hosting a costumed medieval feast for Canterbury Tales, and evaluating their own homemade Rorschach tests when they read “Flowers for Algernon.”

The Chicago Teacher’s Union provides all CPS teachers with a one hundred dollar stipend, Salas-Herrera’s yearly supply budget.

Typically, her principal provides a ballpark figure regarding available funds for art and selects and purchases student text books. Salas-Herrera researches economical novel sets. “Many times,” she explains, “I get free supplemental materials from the web or swap with other teachers in order to save money.” To supplement her funding, she finds free materials on Craigslist; asks friends, family, and students to donate materials; or chooses projects that require “recyclables or natural objects” such as “branches and sand.” But, to do the project she had in mind for this quarter, she needed markers.

Last year’s markers were done for: old, dried up, and unacceptable. Salas-Herrera required $186 for new markers, to complete a large poster project, as well as teach future lessons in which she wants to “introduce Seurat and pointillism, and pigment dispersion.”

The principal of Peace and Education Coalition, Second Chance Campus encouraged teachers to try a website called DonorsChoose to raise additional funds, and Salas-Herrera was further encouraged in this by the endorsement of other teachers, in addition to such personalities as Ophrah Winfrey and her “darling” Stephen Colbert (to whom she adds: “Mr. Colbert, I have another project brewing. Won’t you please, please help me?”). She found the site “easy to use” and its staff “quick to respond to questions.” She adds, “I like that they are honest [about] how and where the funds are being applied to satisfy the request.” To that end, she created her own DonorsChoose project, “Craving for Crayola Markers.”

Kids and Markers: A Brilliant Combination

Her students were encouraged to spread the word, and Salas-Herrera publicized the project on her own Facebook page. In short order, several patrons of the arts donated the money and she soon had her new materials. “It was a wonderful feeling,” she recalls. “People still believe in art education.” She will “definitely” be using DonorsChoose again.

The students at Peace and Education Coalition, Second Chance Campus face challenges that many high schoolers will never know. They may be culturally limited because they are “are afraid or reluctant to venture out of their neighborhoods,” and they often cope with “financial difficulties, run-ins with the law, drug/alcohol abuse, lots of peer pressure, and teen pregnancy.” Some of them are “struggling learners” who require assistance from special education teachers. Often, their emotional issues come to the fore of the classroom, resulting in “disruptions” and student who “shut down” until Salas-Herrera must talk to them individually to “get to the root of the matter, as much as they allow me to know. Sometimes, they just need to cool and calm themselves down before they can approach the daily lesson.”

It’s a challenging atmosphere, and while the work can be difficult, Salas-Herrera says it’s “awesome that I am teaching right by my old neighborhood, the Back of the Yards. I am grateful that I am giving back to the community where I was born and raised.” Alternative schools, she feels, often get a bad rap, but she wants the world to know that, “these kids are not bad. Most them just made some bad choices, but…aren’t we all flawed at some point in time? I commend them for trying to make it right and graduating with a high school diploma. I think it  is an excellent step onto the right path!”

Sketching out a Brighter Future: Nancy Salas-Herrera Makes Her Mark is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

According to his website, robertmac.com, “Robert Mac is a comedy creator, collaborator, connoisseur, and critic,” as well as “the thinking man’s non-thinking man.” A rare breed, he is a stand-up comedian who doesn’t resort to profanity, misogyny, or chest-beating, and still made the Entertainment Business Journal’s list of top one hundred comedians. How does he define his act? That’s “the hardest part of the job,” he says. “How can I tell you what my act is when I can only see it through me-colored glasses? Other people say it’s smart, clever, silly, cerebral.”

Robert Mac performs at Laff's Comedy Cafe, Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Alan J Fullmer and Wikimedia Commons

Daily, he battles the dichotomy of the life of an intelligent stand-up performer. “I put a lot of thought into my material,” he says. One the one hand, while “it’s easy to make people laugh…it’s much more rewarding to make them think and keep them guessing.” On the other hand, his experience is that his job involves, “mostly performing for drunks.” The club scene seems to be about “free comedy and expensive drinks, which devalues the comedy. It’s really backward in many ways. The club owners make their money on booze, so they offer cheap or free comedy to get drinkers into the clubs.”

But Mac is committed to this life, and has been for some time. He remembers, as a child, listening to a Steve Martin routine and thinking, “Do people do that as a job?” His first foray into stand-up took place around 1992. He provided some written material for a friend to perform at a local club’s open mic night. “When he did my material on stage, and got laughs, I felt betrayed in a way,” Mac remembers. “I wanted those laughs. After much cajoling, he finally pushed me onstage and my first set was a hit. I was hooked.”

Almost twenty years later, he performs regularly, an iconoclast in an industry where many performers are seeking to reach an audience that is “there to do shots and whoop it up.” By contrast, Mac plays well to a “bright and attentive” audience. Where is his base? He reports, “I do well with people with glasses,” and that he can judge how successful his set has been by how well he feels when he’s done. “If I’m having fun,” he says, “they’re having fun.” His favorite shows, naturally, are “the ones where they are in the palm of my hand the whole time and they let me run the show.”

What else could a comedian ask for? Reportedly, “a few more television appearances.” But he’d settle for the ability to “make a comfortable living as a comedian . . . and I’m making my way toward that.”

Mac uses social networks to share the news about upcoming performances, including Facebook to direct his fans to hyperlinks where they can purchase tickets or make reservations for upcoming shows. Fans can watch clips of his performances on his YouTube channel. He sells CDs and digital downloads online (and hopes to offer more merchandise in the near future), and even writes an occasional blog called Comedy DNA, discussing humor. In terms of weird publicity stunts, however, he rates this article as “probably the unusualest,” thing he has ever done.

Humor, of course, is subjective. “There’s funny in everything,” Mac says, “but it takes a lot to make me laugh. I think I need to be caught off-guard. Today I laughed out loud, literally, watching my friend Myq Kaplan perform on Letterman—funny, smart stuff.”

Dry Humor: Robert Mac Explains the Stand-Up Racket is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

What do you know about QR codes?

You’ve probably seen these distinctive, randomly-checkered, black and white squares on advertisements in magazines and other print publicity. Anyone with a smart phone can scan them in an instant, and be transported to a sponsor’s web page for more information.

How does that help your raise more money for your school?

What if that QR code sent students, parents, and other potential donors to a website where they could instantly purchase tickets to an upcoming dance, theatrical performance, fundraising event. What if that site allowed them to make an instant online donation? What if you could do it all at an affordable price?

By combining the power of QR codes with the convenience of our TicketRiver online box office, we’ve created a reliable tool for your school. TicketRiver helps you collect money, whether you’re selling tickets or just asking for charitable donations to support the arts, athletics, the building fund, or any other program that requires cash.

It’s Elementary

We know you’re busy, and that’s why we’ve made the process as streamlined as possible. You can start with a call to our friendly customer support staff at 888.771.0809 and tell them you’d like some QR Code Posters. While you’re setting up your page on TicketRiver (totally free, really easy), they’ll help get your Posters started. You can send our designers any image you’d like to use, have a custom design created just for you, or even choose a combination, like a custom design that incorporates your school logo.

We won’t print or ship your posters until you’re satisfied with the proof, so there’s no risk. When you receive them, the unique QR code will feature prominently in the image, letting everyone know that they can instantly buy tickets or send money with their smart phones.

Time to Shine

Just hang your Posters around the school or wherever you suspect your supporters may lurk. Wherever you go, whatever you do, those QR codes keep working for you, so you can sell tickets or collect donations literally any time, utilizing zero human resources. No one has to sell tickets, collect money, count change, or answer questions. Your TicketRiver page does it all for you!

If you’re looking for a way to move your fundraising campaign into the twenty-first century, capitalize on your students’ love of technology, or raise more money while committing fewer resources to the cause, QR Code Posters are smart way to achieve your goals!

Isn’t It Time Your School Fundraiser Went High-Tech? is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

What if your publicity posters could sell theater tickets for you?

I don’t mean in a metaphorical way: of course, great PR helps you sell tickets. I mean, what if the posters literally sold the tickets, to people who saw them, while they were standing there admiring the posters? What if the moment your patrons saw your advertisement, one feature of that ad was that it would instantly allow them to buy tickets to your upcoming show?

That’s what QR Code Posters from TicketPrinting.com do.

QR codes, those little black and white squares that appear more and more often in our visual environment, allow users to connect directly to websites. Anyone with a smart phone can instantly scan the code and be taken to a page where further information awaits them.

Box Office Bliss

But our QR Code Posters go even further. They don’t just take your patrons to any website; they direct them to your performance’s actual event page at TicketRiver, our online box office. With just a few clicks, your audience can purchase tickets to the upcoming show, without having to walk away from your advertisement, without the possibility that their desire to attend will slip their minds. It’s an instant-gratification ticket sales.

Setting up your event on TicketRiver is fast and easy; the process takes about five minutes and is as simple as entering data into a webform. As long as you have a title and description for your event, along with the time, the location, and the ticket prices, you can get started. The website does the rest: sells seats and collects payments.

Getting your QR Code Posters is even simpler, because our Customer Support staff and talented designers do the work for you. All you have to do is place your order by calling 888.771.0809. You can send us any design you’d like, or let our graphic artists create a custom design for you. We’ll generate the QR code that links to your show and send you a proof for your approval before we start printing.

Waiting in the Wings?

If you’ve been toying with the idea of updating your box office, transitioning to online ticket sales, or just want to add another convenient way for your patrons to get their seats, these QR Code Posters really pull their own weight. They do all the work of your ordinary print publicity, with the powerful bonus of actually selling those seats for you.

It just doesn’t get any simpler than this. Purchase Posters. Sell tickets.

Do Nothing. Sell Tickets. is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Security these days can be complicated and expensive. Looking for a way to identify people that won’t take up all of your time? Look no further, one solution is here. And not only is it easy to handle, it won’t break your budget, either.

Personalized Name Tags

Whether you have a group of VIPs to keep an eye on, an entire convention to attend to, or a school to run, security is one of the biggest issues on the books. One way to identify people easily is to print personalized name tags (or event badges) for each person to wear. Each person can wear their name tag while attending an event, arriving at work or going to school, showing others who they are and that they belong on site.

Individual Codes

As an added security measure, you have the option of printing a unique number or barcode on each event badge. Especially in cases where there are a very large number of people around on a daily basis or many attendees at an event, this added layer of security can be useful and informative.

Unique Logos

Print unique logos on your event badges to add even more specialized security to an event, worksite or school. Include almost any design that you can send in a standard file format. Use specific logos to help identify different groups of people, or differentiate between companies at a convention by printing the company logo for each attendee to wear.

Important Details

There may be more information than simply a name or logo that you want to include on a name tag. Any information that can help to identify people quickly and easily can be printed on the event badge. If it can be included in a CSV file, you can include it on an event badge. For example, to print event badges for added school security, add an identifier of either “staff” or “student” to help recognize separate each group.

Event badges are an easy and fast way to add an extra layer of security to any event, site or school. They can be worn clipped right on the front of a uniform, or they can be hung around the neck with a lanyard that can be printed to include a logo as well. Print information on both sides of the event badge to utilize the full space available, or make them double sided so that important information will always be prominently displayed.

Easy Street: One Way to Simplify Security is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Your fans love your music.

Your fans want to see you perform live.

Your fans have smart phones.

Your fans have lives.

Do you love your fans? Show them a little love by making their lives a little bit easier. How? Make it simple for them to get tickets to your upcoming show the moment they see your print publicity. You can make the experience totally hassle-free for you and your fans with QR Code Posters advertising the gig. They actually sell tickets for you, so your fans don’t need to search around for the right link, stand in line at a ticket counter, or deal with any exorbitant ticket broker fees.

It’s So Easy

We’ve streamlined the process. First, we created an online box office at TicketRiver.com. In five minutes, you can register your show and set up an event page where your fans can find all your event details and purchase tickets. You can even sell different kinds of tickets—VIP Passes, 18-over, ½ price, whatever you like—to the same event. It’s fast and easy to create your page, complete with its own unique URL.

A Little Help from Your Friends

But that’s not all we’ve done for you. We’ll get your fans to the link in no time at all with a custom QR Code Poster. Whether you’ve got a design in mind or need one of our graphic artists to create an image that suits your particular needs, all you’ve got to do it is call our customer support at 888.771.0809. They’ll help get your order going. We’ll design your posters, generate your QR code, and send out a proof for your approval. We never print until you’re satisfied you’re getting exactly the Poster or Flyer you need.

Waiting Here for You

Wherever you hang your high-resolution QR Code Posters, your fans can scan the code with their smart phones. It will take them right to your TicketRiver event page where they can buy tickets right away.

TicketRiver sends users print-at-home tickets to save you time and money, but, if you still want to use paper tickets, you can order those too (at a discount for TicketRiver users) and mail them out, or hold them at will call.

It’s that easy! QR Code Posters are there for you, selling tickets night and day, from the moment you hang them until you sell out your event.

It’s just one more way to show your love to the people who support your music.

Show Them the Love is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

When you’re responsible for a group of kids that aren’t your own, it’s important to keep track of everyone. Parents can be very protective over their children, especially when the children are young. Even in today’s world with cell phones and all the extra security that goes along with them, it is still possible to gain a straggler who doesn’t belong to the group, or worse, lose track of a child that does belong.

Keep an Updated Roster

At a sports tournament, there can be a lot of kids running around from all over the state (or even the country if the tournament is national). Many different teams may gather to battle for first place, depending on what kind of tournament is in play. The first step necessary to keep track of your team is to keep an updated roster (or list of names) of everyone who needs to be accounted for.

Identify Each Person

During the tournament, it’s not possible to constantly call out the name of every kid on your team in order to make sure they are still there. Besides, that would be exhausting and, quite honestly, silly. What you can do instead is to print event badges that have each name printed clear as day, right on the badge. That way you can identify each kid almost instantly, just by glancing at their badge. On that note, some schools have already started to use event badges for added security at home base.

Check and Re-Check

Printing event badges for each child on your team to wear will help decrease the risk of losing track of any member of the team. You will also be able to quickly notice if someone who doesn’t belong joins the crew. They will, of course, be missing their unique badge. Event badges can be printed to include almost any unique design or logo. That means that even if another team of kids is wearing event badges to identify themselves, your team’s event badges will be printed specifically for only your school, division or town.

Print individual event badges to help keep track of your team amid the masses at a sports tournament. These name tags are versatile and made out of weather-resistant materials, which make them convenient to reuse for added security at the next tournament, too. The team even has options on how to wear them, either by using a bulldog clip or a lanyard. All in all, event badges are an easy way to boost security for the whole team.

3 Ways to Boost Security at Sports Tournaments is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

It’s that time of year again! As the holiday season approaches, everyone runs around like crazy trying to buy the right gifts, decorate their homes, make plans for relatives to visit, and get everything ready for that special time. It can be hectic to say the least, and at the end of the day we all try to remember that the holidays are first and foremost a time for family and sharing.

One of the most special things about the holidays is that we get to catch up and connect with family, near and far. But what if the whole family can’t make it to share those special times and get all the good gossip? Money is tight in many households across the nation these days, and not everyone can afford to see their loved ones, especially when we factor in rising travel costs.

How to Stay in Touch

There are plenty of unique ways to stay in touch loved ones that can’t make it to town for the holidays. Many people choose to print and send out personalized holiday cards to the family members and friends they can’t see. This is a great option to stay connected with those that can’t make it to visit.

Don’t Break My Budget

We all have a budget to watch, especially with the current economy. Even though you want to keep in touch with out-of-town family during the holidays, you don’t want to spend too much. Printing event programs as holiday cards is an easy solution. Event programs start at only $0.40 per program. They are printed in full color and can be custom designed so you can share your family memories in style and at a low cost.

You Have Options

You can choose to include almost anything in your family’s event program. Tell a story about the award-winning project that your son turned in for the school science fair, or recount the highlights from the last year so that relatives know what’s been going on with the family. Include plenty of recent pictures so that everyone can see how the kids are growing up more and more every day.

Design Your Own

Work with expert graphic designers to create a unique design for your holiday event program that fits your specific wants and needs. Don’t worry if you have a lot of stories to share or a big family to show off, because event programs can be printed anywhere between 4-64 pages long. Beautifully laid out and professionally done, event programs are a great way to share your family memories this season.

‘Tis the Season: 1 Easy Way to Share Family Memories is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

The Right Choice for a Nonprofit: Sharing Ideas for Success

The tickets we purchased were reasonably priced and very professional looking, which was great for our small not-for-profit group. 

~ Britt C. Menchhofer, R.S., Northwest Ohio Environmental Health Association Planning Committee

The Ohio Environmental Health Association (OEHA) works as a state association, but has four district planning committees that provide education for environmental health professionals and advocates for the profession.  Each OEHA district plans its own events throughout the year.

The Northwest planning committee organizes an “education conference each fall that is offered to local sanitarians (specialists in sanitary science and public health) and other environmental health professionals and industry workers.” Attendees are able to network with other members in environmental health fields, and they are provided with opportunities to earn educational credits.

“In the past our district has had a raffle where prizes were available and tickets were purchased by attendees and placed into the buckets for the prizes. Prizes were usually items donated by individuals and businesses for the event. In the past few years, it has been harder to get businesses to donate prizes for the raffle,” Brad told me.

For that reason, the Northwest Planning Committee needed to rethink its fundraising strategy. It looked to the Northeast Planning Committee for advice.

A Reverse Raffle

“We decided this year to try a reverse raffle to raise more money and also be able to reach more people because the tickets could be sold prior to the event and to people other than attendees. Our Northeast district has a reverse raffle and gave us the details on their raffle.”

The Northwest district learned from the Northeast’s district’s success and adopted its fundraising strategy.

In the most common version of a reverse raffle, tickets are sold as they would be in a regular raffle, but the goal is to not have your ticket drawn. Instead, tickets are drawn in a reverse order. The losers are the ones that are drawn early, and the winners are the remaining tickets. For this raffle, the grand prize was $500, and $25 for every twenty-five tickets sold.

The money from this reverse raffle went to the George Eagle scholarship fund. “The scholarship fund aims to provide one graduate and one undergraduate scholarship each year for individuals studying a field of Environmental Health.”

Everyone is Responsible

In order for the reverse raffle to work, all the planning committee members needed to be on board. Each was asked to sell at least ten tickets each. “The tickets were marketed through email and mailings related to our conference. Asking people face to face is one of the best marketing strategies.” The organization employed both digital and physical mediums in order to reach its intended audience and did not downplay the importance of word of mouth sales.

Unfortunately, some of the tickets were not sold, and the fundraiser fell a little short of its goal, but, “[We] were still able to give a significant amount back to the scholarship fund,” Brad explained. And for that reason, “the event was a success.”

Event of the Week: OEHA Reverse Raffle is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

In today’s economy, the unemployment rate is very high. Job seekers may attend one, two, or many job fairs in hopes of meeting potential employers and making key connections that can help them attain employment. Companies who are hiring are also interested in attending job fairs to help narrow their search among the unemployed masses.

One of the key issues at hand for any job fair, is how to keep it organized. Employers and job seekers alike won’t want to waste time wandering around trying to figure out who’s who and what’s what. In fact, disorganization of this kind may discourage both employers and job seekers from going to the next job fair, no matter who hosts it.

How to Keep a Job Fair Organized

Job fairs can be pretty chaotic. In order to maximize the potential to meet as many people as possible in a fixed period of time, one must have a game plan. A great way to assist both the employer and job seeker in their time-constrained search is to label each attendee in some way.

There are many different ways to label job fair attendees so that they can recognize each other (whether employer or potential employee). One of the easiest ways to do this is to print event badges that can be worn by each person at the event.

The Key to Success

Print event badges for job fair attendees, and add some control to the chaos that normally surrounds these kinds of events. This will be a favor to both the employers and the job seekers as they will be able to identify each other much more easily than if they weren’t labeled.

Job fair attendees will be impressed with the degree of organization that accompanies to use of the event badges. Imagine each person being able to tell who the other is simple by glancing at their badge. Event badges are not only convenient to use, they’re also easy to make.

It’s Just That Easy

Event badges come in two types. Economy Event Badges are full color and can be worn in a clear vinyl holder with a lanyard, or in a clear plastic holder with a bulldog clip. VIP Event Badges are made of waterproof and tear-proof plastic, and can be worn just like the Economy Badges.

Print the name and company (if applicable) of each job fair attendee on an event badge and help eliminate the chaos among the masses. Any job fair will run more smoothly with event badges to help both job seekers and employers identify each other quickly and easily.

How to Organize Chaos is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

In order to film a TV show or a movie, you need a crew of people to do a long list of various jobs. From the production staff to the office crew, there may be a lot of people who are on set to get the work done. It can be difficult to recognize all the faces running around and remember everyone’s names, especially with consideration to the constant flux of newcomers that may stream in from day to day.

Whether you’re a manager, supervisor, or an assistant on the crew, you’ll want to have a way to identify others easily. And others should be able to tell who you are, too. There are a number of methods to use for clear and fast identification, but there’s one in particular that’s easy, convenient, and cost efficient to boot.

Why Identify the Crew?

No matter how good someone may be at remembering names and faces, it’s easy to let one slip once in a while. The last thing anyone wants to do is to forget an important person’s name, and thus risk running into an embarrassing situation (or perhaps even losing their job). A great way to prevent this is to print event badges for each person on the crew to wear when they’re on the set.

How to Identify the Crew

Printing event badges for each crew member to wear allows everyone to identify each other at a glance. Not only are there options for what to print on the actual badge, but there are also two distinct types of event badges to choose from. The choice will likely depend on the needs and status of the person who will be wearing it.

Make the Right Decision

Identify the crew with event badges that can be printed with each member’s name, a unique design, or any other information that can be provided in a CSV file. There are even options for how the event badge can be worn. Economy Event Badges can be worn in a clear plastic holder with a bulldog clip, or in a clear vinyl holder with a lanyard and clip.

If the lanyard option is chosen, the company logo can be printed right on it as well. This gives the whole badge the appeal of a useful, professional item that everyone can benefit from.

Every crew member will feel more secure when they are able to recognize each other by looking at their badges.

What to do When You Don’t Know the Crew is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

The ticket legitimizes our event; it makes it look special with a specific date and time and the incorporation of our photos & logos on the ticket as well.

~Paul Komorowski, Seaway Window

Custom printed tickets can mean so much more than “Admit One!” Take, for example, the case of Seaway Window, a  replacement window company in Northwest Pennsylvania.  In the business for over 50 years, Seaway is always looking for new and interesting ways to expose its products to customers.

To show off its process and products to its customers, Seaway Window invites them onto the factory floor. “Our Event is an Open House. We open our factory for tours of one of our production lines showing how a double hung window is made. The purpose is to get people to come to the factory and see how our windows are made, thus making them confident in choosing our company for their replacement window project,” Paul told me.

For the factory tour, Seaway uses the General Concert Ticket. This ticket can be printed in several flashy colors. It has space for event information as well as custom images.

For the factory tour that took place on October 8^th, the Seaway team chose orange as a background color and included images of the factory and the company logo. Besides featuring a detachable stub and individual numbering, the ticket has discount information printed on its opposite side, which can be a handy reference for customers attending the event.

“We do not charge people to come to our event; it is free. We use the tickets to legitimize the event. Plus if they go through the factory tour, the tour guide will sign the back of the ticket for a discount applied to their project.”

For Seaway the ticket serves as a valuable form of advertising. It gets customers through the door and helps to incentivize customers to purchase replacement windows through them.

How does Seaway keep the public informed about its factory tours? “We use a multi-media approach. We use TV, radio, signage, print, direct mail, newspaper, and we use the ‘Open House’ ticket that I order from TicketPrinting.com to promote this event.” Seaway uses an all avenues approach. Rather than settling for one form of advertising, it utilizes a number of different outlets to build a buzz around its factory tours.

Paul urges others to, “Use a multi-media approach to drive people to your event.”

Those who attend the factory tour at Seagate have a good time, no matter how they learned about the event. “The best part of the event is the actual factory tour; people love to go though it,” Paul said.

Event of the Week: Seaway Window Factory Tour is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Charity Dance Event to Prevent Suicide

The tickets were really professional looking. I would definitely use the service again!

~Patricia Pupek, Event Organizer

On September 17th, the Western Massachusetts Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention held a Zumbathon to raise money for their annual “Out of the Darkness” Community Walk held in early October. Zumba is a combination of Latin dance, music, and exercise. It is meant to be fun and motivational and provide a great workout. A Zumbathon is a charity event hosted by a licensed instructor or instructors.

According to Patricia Pupek, the fundraiser was a great success with,  “about 100 people, which is great, considering we put this together pretty quickly. The best part of the event was the enthusiasm of the people who attended, and the fact that we were able to get the word out about our organization to so many people.”

Raising awareness is one of the main goals of the organization. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is “the only national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide,” The AFSP hoped to raise $50,000 at the Community Walk event to fund a number of local initiatives. The Zumbathon helped put them on their way.

For the Zumbathon event, the AFSP chose the General Admission Concert Ticket. The colorful ticket had plenty of room for event information plus space for two logos. The images chosen included a life preserver and the Zumba emblem. This provided attendees with visual imagery to accompany the event. The ticket featured a detachable stub as well as individual numbering.

How did Patricia and her team sell tickets to their event? “We sold tickets by word of mouth, posters in our workplace, we posted our event on Facebook, and we had four Zumba instructors who all work at various gyms and health clubs in Western Mass. They promoted the event at the health clubs, put up signs everywhere.

“Also, I gave out a stack of tickets to each AFSP volunteer in our chapter and asked them to sell as many as they could.  Some people bought a ticket even though they knew they could not attend the Zumbathon, but wanted to give a donation.”

The AFSP really covered its bases with this event using every available resource. From sharing the news one on one, creating printed resources such as posters to relying on “ambassadors” to spread the word on the organizations behalf and utilizing social media, as well as professionally printing custom tickets, the AFSP was able to reach individuals in many different ways. In turn, it was able to raise the profile of the organization and the cause.

What advice does Patricia have for those planning a similar event?

“Start planning and marketing the event a couple of months ahead.  Use Facebook- it works!”

Event of the Week: Out of the Darkness Zumbathon is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

In a world where globalization increases day by day and consumers are offered more and more diverse ways to spend their cash than ever before, it can be a challenge to find new and exciting ways to stick out among the competition. There are many different ways to go about getting people’s attention, and an organization may choose to advertise a certain way in order to fit their specific needs.

It all depends on how an organization plans to retain lasting recognition. A strategic yet subtle way to stick out in people’s minds, whether they are potential investors, customers, future employees or one of the general public, is to print event programs. There are a number of different reasons an organization may have these printed.

1.     Show off to Visitors

If an organization has a large or impressive facility, one way to retain recognition among the competition is to print event programs. These can be easily handed out to visitors, and also serve as a keepsake that can be taken with them after their visit. In the case of a large facility, including a map can be useful and helpful as a kind of tour guide. Include pictures from local or remote facilities so visitors have an organized printed booklet with key highlights to admire and show to others as well.

2.     Investor Recognition

It may be important for a company that relies on investor funding to give credit where it is due. Attract other investors to your company by dedicating a portion of an event program to current investors. This way, current investors can feel confident and appreciated when they see their names listed, and future investors may be interested in hopes of getting their own names on that list. Whether hosting a convention, having a few guests in town or just attending the random visitor, showing people that your investors matter can be a key to gaining future funding.

3.     Healthy Environment

Many people who work full time may spend more time with their co-workers than with their families. Help create a friendly and healthy work environment by encouraging employees to get to know each other. Print and distribute event programs and include pictures, titles, organizational charts, bios, or any other kind of information that employees want to share with their co-workers. It can be beneficial to provide an introduction of sorts for new or more introverted employees, in order to help break the ice. Happy employees will likely spread the word about how great your organization is, helping you stand out among the competition even more.

First Impressions Last: 3 Ways to Stick Out Among the Competition is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

TicketPrinting.com gave us the ability to be professional, and offered us the tools we needed to make our event into a great one! Thank you for making our event a success!

~Charlotte Dunn, Co-Founder and President of Fighting For Damion

Just five months old, Damion Antonio Carbello has already touched countless lives. Born in May 2011, Damion was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), “a genetic disorder that is carried by 1 in 90 people and affects 1 in 2000. SMA is the number one genetic killer of toddlers and infants in the world.”

“Fighting For Damion is completely not for profit, and our sole goal is to help this little family with medical bills, and Damion’s needs, to make things just a little easier,” Charlotte Dunn, Co-founder and President of Fighting for Damion explained to me. She founded the organization with Vice President and Co-Founder Rachel Kessleski when they learned their dear friend’s son had been diagnosed with the disorder.

The organization’s most recent event was a benefit get together sponsored by Scale’s Grill and Deck Bar to raise money for Damion and also raise awareness of SMA. The group “held a Chinese auction, a 50/50 raffle, featured live entertainment and a dinner buffet. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to a secure account strictly for baby Damion.”

For the event, the organization chose the Blue and White General Admission Ticket, a simple but professional ticket with plenty of room for event information. The event ticket featured the details of the event on the front, as well as a logo and slogan on the back. The tickets were individually numbered and featured a detachable stub, which can be used to track attendees and keep account of the raffle.

“Because we are just starting out, we have set our goal very small and I am pleased to say we greatly exceeded it.” Charlotte told me.

To get the word out, Charlotte and her team relied heavily on Internet and radio advertising, “We advertised greatly on all social networks, and local radio stations. We also pre-sold the tickets that your company printed, which [were] a big hit! We also list every event and detail on our website, www.fightingfordamion.com.”

Some event planners choose to focus only on one method of advertising, which means they may reach only one audience. By using more than one channel of communication and reaching out to an online audience, as well as one that might hear about the event from a more traditional route, the team maximized its message and reached more potential attendees.

Another effective method that helped with ticket sales is offering a presale discount.  “We offered our tickets to anyone who would listen for $10 presale or $15 at the door. We advertised them the same way we advertised our event,” Charlotte said. “It worked very well in my opinion. If you can get the word out there on as many sources as you can, your event will sell itself.”

Though the weather didn’t cooperate, the event was still a success. “For me, the best part of the event was seeing everyone who came out having a good time for a great cause. Most of these people have no idea who this family is that they are helping, and yet they still come out to support and donate. It is truly amazing to see people put aside their busy life and help someone in need. ”

When you’re planning a fundraising event, a strong advertising and sales strategy will bring out many people who were unaware of your cause. You may find allies who come to believe just as passionately in your message as you do.

For those planning a similar event, Charlotte has this advice, “Plan ahead! Make sure all loose ends are tied a week prior to your event; it saves a lot of time and money. And remember to have lots of helping hands to help set up and break down!! That is truly the hardest part of any event.”

To donate to Fight For Damion visit FightingforDamion.com.

Event of the Week: Fighting for Damion is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Whether you’re a small business owner, a part-time sales rep, or run a charity auction, you need a convenient and attractive way to display the items you have for sale. These days, many people turn to the internet to display and sell their items, and there has been a recent decrease in the number of printed catalogs available for the perusal of consumers.

But there is still something to be said for printed catalogs. Even those that choose to create online catalogs often have a printed version as well. This way, if the customer requests a printed version specifically, they will be ready to send one without delay. And with fewer catalogs on the market today, you may have a better opportunity to display and sell your items in print, especially in a tight-knit community or small town setting.

Creative Display

Use a unique design to format your catalog and help to grab customers’ attention. Event program printers offer the advice of expert graphic designers to assist you in the creation of your catalog. They can be a great resource in helping to plan the organization and layout. Depending on what type of company you have or what kind of products or services you offer, you may want to format things a certain way in order to increase the value of the catalog as a marketing tool.

The List Goes on

Create a catalog that is concise and to the point, or put the full spectrum of your products on display with event programs. They can be anywhere between 4 and 64 pages long, giving you a lot of room to list products or a few pages to feature your best and brightest. It all depends on the needs of the company or organization from which the products are being sold.

Increase Capacity for Sales

If you live in a small town or close community, you know that news travels fast. Word of mouth can be one of the easiest and cheapest ways to market items as the customer does most of the work for you by telling their friends and recommending your products to them. It’s also one of the most credible forms of advertising as one does not tend to recommend items that aren’t worth their cost to a friend or neighbor. Create a unique printed catalog to send out to your small town or close community, and start getting the news out about your business. Once they see the attractive and organized event program catalog in their mailbox, people won’t be able to stop talking about your products.

Right in the Eye: One Way to Get Noticed is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog