by Lance on April 30, 2012
Catch the Spirit!
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Hosting an Annual Event
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.
by Lance on April 20, 2011
The Best Events use Wristbands
Maybe you have been an event planner for years or maybe this is your first time planning a big event. From choosing the venue, to getting the appropriate permits, lining up vendors, volunteers, staff and service people, from finding entertainment to advertising and managing the crowds of people who will show up, you’ve got a lot to think about. Lighten the load when you use Tyvek wristbands to manage your attendees.
All the Colors in the Rainbow
Color code with custom wristbands to organize your big event. Veteran and new party planners alike can appreciate the importance of keeping things organized. This applies to all aspects of your event, especially your crowd. On event day, you want to be able to distinguish your guests from your vendors, staff and volunteers.
Colorful Tyvek wristbands let you do this, by allowing you to quickly and efficiently separate your attendees. Simply place the appropriate event wristband on each attendee as he or she arrives at the gate and their roles at the event will be revealed.
Selling alcohol at your event? Choose a highly visible and unmistakable colored wristband to mark your underage drinkers. Your concession staff will thank you when they are able to move guests through the line with ease.
Brand it
You’ve put a huge amount of planning into the details of your event. Don’t let your guests forget who made it possible. Tyvek wristbands can be customized with your logo and information. Choose a memorable design that will stick with your attendees far into the future.
As if they could forget! The design will be stuck on them for the duration of the big day. Waterproof, durable and non-transferable, event wristbands allow you to make sure your brand will never be out of your guests’ sight.
When you customize wristbands with your own unique design, you help to ensure guests identify your brand, but you also increase the security of your event. Not any old wristband will do. Guests need to be wearing your event wristbands. A quick glance at their wrists can tell you whether they are meant to be there or not.
For Added Security
Custom wristbands can be individually numbered. They can also be printed with a unique holographic foil label that is very difficult to duplicate. In addition to choosing unique colors and a branded design, these features make it quick and easy to spot the genuine article anywhere in the crowd.
The Most Important Color
Green! DuPont Tyvek wristbands are recyclable, so no matter which colors you decide to print them in, you will lesson your impact on the environment. Guests can turn in their event wristbands at the end of the event and leave knowing that they have done something to reduce their footprint.
Make Event Wristbands a Part of your Plans
Choose custom printed wristbands as part of your event and make your crowd management simple.
by Lance on April 5, 2011
Want a Successful School Event? Choose Tyvek Wristbands
You’re not sure what your classroom budget is going to be this year, but you are sure it won’t be enough. As you look out over the faces of your young students sounding out words and carefully calculating math problems, you wish you could give them something more to reinforce their education. Whether you want to raise the money for extra books, school supplies or creative materials, holding a fundraising event using custom printed wristbands can be key to bringing cash into your classroom.
A School Carnival
Paper bracelets or Tyvek Wristbands go hand in hand with your fundraising plans, especially if you’re planning a school carnival. A carnival is a traditional choice for a school fundraiser. It is the type of event that opens the doors of the school to the community. Individuals get to see the cause they are donating to, and faculty and students get a chance to show off their place of learning to the public. As an added bonus, school carnivals are just plain fun!
Security and Safety
Making sure that an event on school grounds is secure and safe should be a top priority of any planning committee. Tyvek wristbands can help you reach this goal. Somewhere between paper and plastic, these wristbands fit snugly around your attendees wrists. They cannot be transferred or removed without being cut off, so you can rest assured that the right folks are at your event.
Event wristbands are available in several colors. You can set aside ones for faculty and staff, parents, students and friends of the school. When individuals see the colored wristbands, they can easily identify the type of relationship an individual has to the school.
Raffles
Your school carnival will likely have games, food, student performances and displays. Another big draw might be door prizes or raffles, based on wristband numbering. In order to save additional money, you may want to solicit a local vendor or merchant sponsor the event by donating a prize. Prizes can be big or small. What counts is the spirit behind them and the enthusiasm with which your attendees participate.
Because event wristbands can be securely numbered, they can serve a dual purpose at your event. They will help to keep your event secure, but they will also double as a raffle ticket. Each guest with an event wristband gets a chance at the prize. And, they won’t run the risk of losing their chance at the raffle.
Guests can feel safe participating in carnival games and rides. The Tyvek wristbands will stay securely around their wrists no matter how many rounds of skee ball they play. They can even take a few rounds in the dunk tank because these event wristbands are waterproof!
Your Students are Worth It
It’s easy and cost effective to design and print custom wristbands. Event wristbands can be customized with your school’s logo making them unique and memorable. Not only will members of your school’s community have a fun time, you’ll be earning money so that you can buy the much needed extras the budget may not cover this year.
by Lance on February 25, 2011
Event Wristbands for Summer Celebrations
Whether you’ve just left the sunny days of summer behind or the season is just around the corner, any time of year is a great time to put your picnic planning hat on! Family reunions, neighborhood get-to-know-yous, and big fundraisers for your favorite causes go perfectly against the backdrop of sunshine and comfort food.
With a little preparation and dedication, your picnic party will be a success. From picking the right venue, choosing a catering company, auditioning entertainment, managing transportation and crowd control, you’ve got some big decisions to make. Consider using event wristbands to help keep things simple.
Event Organizers Just Wanna Have Fun!
When you’re hosting a summer time affair, you want to enjoy it, too. Party wristbands can allow you to lighten up and have a good time along with your guests.
If you’re expecting a large number of folks, charging for food or serving alcoholic drinks, you should consider managing your guests with Dupont Tyvek wristbands. These helpful accessories are great for single or multiple day events and make it easy for anyone working or volunteering to help manage the crowd. Instead of worrying whether the young guy by the concession booth should really be drinking that beer or if that unfamiliar looking group of folks chowing down on potato salad under the food tent really paid the admission fee, you can relax, knowing that everyone is right where they belong.
With event wristbands, you’ll be able to maintain the integrity of the event, ensuring everyone has fun in the sun! If you’re hosting a company picnic or family reunion, wristbands can help you easily identify members of your party when you throw your event at a venue open to the general public.
Get Active and Enjoy the Weather
Are you planning some activities at your picnic event? Perhaps a little three-legged race or game of volleyball? Everyone wants to join in on the fun. With event wristbands, guests can have a great time without worrying they’ll lose their proof of admission.
Tyvek wristbands fit snuggly around attendees’ wrists. They are made of a durable material that feels a little like paper and a little like plastic. They’re waterproof as well, so if you’re planning a beach or poolside picnic, wristbands are an excellent choice.
Whether you’re having an egg relay, a game of four-square or playing some softball after lunch, encourage your guests to join in! Their event wristbands will stay put, until they decide to take them off at the end of the day.
That is, if your guests decide to take them off. Printed custom wristbands bearing your event logo make a great fashion accessory!
Don’t Let Summer Pass You By
Summer is a wonderful time to host and outdoor event. Take advantage of sunny days and warm weather to plan a gathering that really shines!
by Lance on January 14, 2011
Event Wristbands: What They Do for Me
Tyvek® wristbands used to mean pretty much one thing, as far as I was concerned. You know those paper-plastic bracelets they stick on your wrist, which don’t come off unless you cut them off. It wasn’t so long ago that I thought they were meant exclusively to keep kids away from the bar at large events. At big festivals, we’d often flash our I.D.s to get one, which was usually printed with the logo of some large beer company. Event Wristbands meant beer.
That was before I became involved in events from the other side: the planning aspect. No doubt, from a liability standpoint, over-21 wristbands are still a great asset. They keep me and my bartenders safe from teenagers (you’d be surprised at the number of teens sporting a few gray hairs, or even a bald spot) but they do a lot more. What do I use them for?
- VIP Passes—if there are private rooms or side events, I can keep them exclusive by creating unique wristbands available only to those who pay for the VIP Pass
- Backstage Security—when I’ve booked a popular band, it’s important to keep that backstage area secure, so distinctive wristbands are issued to musicians and those authorized to be back stage
- Staff and Volunteers—my guests and I can easily identify official representatives of the event if I choose a vivid color for their wristbands; a lost child knows who to ask for help, and I can identify my people at a glance
- Event Passes—sometimes I don’t issue tickets in advance, so what’s the point of offering them at the gate? A wristband serves as proof of payment, so we can determine with ease if someone has jumped a fence
This last use surprises some people, who consider these recyclable wristbands something of a luxury. First of all, when I buy them in bulk, I usually get a nice discount from the manufacturer. They’re not expensive at all. In fact, they’re really cheap: substantially cheaper than printing event tickets: we’re talking in the realm of 8 or 9 cents a piece, for a wristband custom printed with the name of my event and my sponsor’s logo. They’re also harder to counterfeit, since they’re made from DuPont’s™ unique Tyvek® material. And I still imprint them with the name and logo of my event, or of my sponsor, for greater visibility.
My favorite thing about party wristbands? I know I’ve hosted a really successful event when I see someone proudly sporting my event wristband a few days after the festival’s ended!
by Lance on December 6, 2010
You are an event organizer with a vision! From the centerpieces to the party favors, you’re holding thousands of ideas in your imagination, and when you need everything to look just so, you’ve got it planned down to the smallest details, like the exact look of your event tickets.
Even with hundreds of ticket templates to choose from, you’ve got your heart set on that special image or unique layout. Printing your own tickets online can help you make your dream a reality. You’re not limited by the whims of a printer or by someone else’s designs: just create the perfect event ticket with a do-it-yourself online ticket maker: a DYO tool.
Here’s what you’ll need:
• All the event details
• Your background image
• Logos or thumbnails
• A vision
• A DYO tool like the one at TicketPrinting.com
Have all the elements in order? You’re ready to go. The website can provide all the information you need to create and print the event tickets you want, with digital help available whenever you find yourself stuck.
DYO Event Ticket Printing allows you to choose the perfect colors and the perfect layout. Further, it lets you add special details that can make your life easier, like multiple perforations or numbering in several places on the ticket. Whatever’s in your mind, that’s what you’ll see printed on your ticket.
When you lay out your ticket, determine which details you’ll need to include. This will help you figure out how many lines of text you’ll need to add. Common bits of information would be:
• The event name
• The hosting organization’s name
• The sponsor’s name
• The location of the event
• The time of the event
• The cost of the event ticket
Additional details that may be of use:
• Activities, speakers, or music
• The name of the group that will benefit from any fundraising
• Seat number (if there is to be reserved seating)
• Dress code
• Dinner menu
• Open or cash bar
• URL of a website where more details are available
• Contact person’s phone number
Basically, if it’s information that might be useful or of interest to your guests, and you can fit it on the event ticket while maintaining your vision for the ticket’s overall look, consider adding it. Be sure to duplicate important information, such as reserved seating and ticket number, on the stub as well as the body of the ticket.
Now, put it all together. Upload your visual background, use the DYO tool to add the boxes where you will upload your logo, and the lines where you will enter your text. Position the perforation and the ticket numbers. When you’ve got it all together, preview your proof.
The proof preview is a really important part of printing event tickets. If you don’t proofread, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself! Plus, the proof will alert you if your text isn’t fitting correctly into the available space.
On the plus side, digital proofs really speed the process along. Once you approve your proof and submit billing and shipping details, your event tickets will start printing almost immediately! Within twenty-four hours, they should be created in all their full-color glory and shipped off via UPS straight to your home or office.
Simple enough, right?
Well, if this all seems overwhelming, fear not! There’s another option. You can still get the exact tickets your heart desires without mucking about with all these layout options. For just a little more money, you can order custom tickets. Yes, this is still an online service, and the rates are still quite reasonable. The only difference is that you can tell a design professional what you want and let them worry about how to make it happen.
Either way, your perfect event deserves a perfect event ticket. Whether you do it yourself or hire a dedicated artist to do it for you, online event ticket printing has never been easier!
by Lance on December 2, 2010
Event Tickets can do more that just admit one.
Sure, it’s easy to rip the stub off a perforated general admission ticket and drop one half into a bin, while your guests jam the other half into the pocket of their jeans, where it is destined to take an all-expenses paid trip through the washing machine. Or, you could start to look at the tickets to your upcoming event in an entirely different way.
Your event’s tickets can take on a life of their own when you breath new purpose into them. Printing tickets can open doors for your organization. Those tickets are pretty versatile!
Print your event tickets with an eye for creativity, and they will serve you well.
With an eye-catching design and your organization’s logo printed right on the body of the ticket, your tickets can serve you well from the moment they leave the box office or the sales teams’ hands. Handsome, well-designed general admission tickets have a tendency to hang around on corkboards or refrigerators, where they help generate interest in your event and your mission.
Event Tickets don’t have to be ticket-sized. Think differently. If you find an image you love, one that really represents you, why not make it a little bigger? A larger format VIP Pass, Invitation, or a Poster or a Flyer, can work as a ticket, and such a ticket can live on after the event as a frameable souvenir. You can even create inexpensive frames to pass out to your guests.
High quality Event Tickets should be printed with sequential numbering on the body and the stub, and what more do you need to hold a prize draw? A Raffle Ticket that comes with the price of admission is a value-added reward for your guests, and helps to boost ticket sales. Just remind your guests to hold on to their ticket stubs. You can drop the body of the ticket into a hat, from which you’ll draw the winning number.
Print a few different designs, and let each Event Ticket stand as a game piece for some activity at your event. You might use them to divide guests into groups, or to lead them to other parts of the event. The image might be a clue in a game, or a picture of an item in a scavenger hunt. Uploading your own image to a ticket with a space for that purpose really allows you to customize the event. Make it whatever you want.
Don’t worry about gatecrashers. Using Event Tickets, or even Event Badges, helps you keep the venue secure. You can restrict access to certain areas, or quickly double check if someone has paid for a ticket. Printing different tickets, or adding VIP Passes, lets you scale your security: certain tickets provide certain levels of mobility. No ticket, no access.
You’ve got to have tickets for most events, just to serve as proof of purchase. And if you’re already printing your own Event Tickets online, why not spend a little extra time putting those tickets to work for you?
by Lance on November 21, 2010
If you’ve never printed your own event tickets online, don’t despair. It’s fast, simple, and convenient. Your online ticket printing company will provide you with an easy-to-use ticket template and hundreds of designs to fit any budget, suit any organization, or create the perfect impression for any event. Still, it doesn’t hurt to plan in advance.
Here’s what you’ll need to know:
• All the event details
Date, time, and location are imperative details, which you’ll need to have settled before you print your event tickets. You’ll probably want to include the name of the event, perhaps in a large or fancy font at the top of the ticket. The name of the host organization and the names of any major sponsors are also important. Special details, such as whether the event is black tie, the bar is cash, or attendees should bring a white elephant gift, can be included as well. Don’t forget to add the price of the ticket. If you’ll offer reserve seating, you’ll want to print special tickets with this information.
• Your vision
Perhaps you have an idea of what your event tickets should look like, but you might not. Either way, you’ll want to browse a design gallery to find the perfect ticket template. Consider the type of party and the type of organization. Should you go for fancy, fun, frivolous? What kind of imagery will impress your guests? You can use search terms to find just the right design and choose a really lovely ticket.
• Additional imagery
Some companies offer you the option of uploading your own custom image onto a stock template. If your organization or sponsor has a recognizable logo, use it! You may also choose a head shot of a speaker or some other figure who will be in attendance. Be prepared: make sure the picture you wish to include is cropped into a perfect square, and saved in a common file format, such as a JPG or GIF,
• The paper
Most folks don’t spend much time thinking about card stock, but when you print your own event tickets online, you will have to make a choice. The heavier the card stock, the more impressive the ticket will appear and feel, but heavier paper is more expensive. You may also have the option of choosing a glossier finish. What about color? Often, you can pay a little extra for colored paper, but you’ll only want to consider this option if your design is to be black and white.
• Shipping
When do you need these tickets? If you plan well in advance, you can save a lot of money by having your order shipped ground. If you are in a bit of a hurry, you may choose to spend a little extra to expedite processing and send your shipment overnight air. You may even have an in-between option, with middle-of-the-road pricing, that will be slower than next-day, but faster than ground.
• Billing
As with anything you order online, you’ll need to have your credit card handy. Most companies won’t process your order without payment details.
Use these bullet points as a checklist, collect all the information you need, and you’ll make the process of printing your own event tickets online even faster and easier than it already is!
by Lance on November 19, 2010
Need a little help getting those donor wallets open and jump starting event ticket sales? Maybe you haven’t provided a great enough incentive. Give your supporters the gift of glamor: make your next fundraiser a fabulous casino night. Recreate the allure of Monte Carlo and start selling event tickets for your casino night.
You’ll need:
• A crew of eager volunteers
• Games of chance (call a local party supply company for rentals)
• A passel of donated prizes
• A venue of sufficient size
• Flashy print publicity
• Some event ticket printing
If your organization supports it, a cash bar will truly make the night successful. You can boost bar sales with Drink Tickets. Remember: inebriated gamblers are your most profitable gamblers.
Start by determining whether there is interest in this night among your group. Once you have enough support, you can start rounding up the volunteers. Take some time to ascertain which skills each volunteer possesses, and then dole out the tasks. Events flow more efficiently if everyone has their own job. Decide whether your volunteers will work the game tables—many party supply companies will also supply the croupiers and dealers.
Meet regularly with your team to check on progress. This will help you see, in advance, if you’ve assigned the proper tasks to the right people. Make a schedule: who will book the venue, and when? How will you distribute event tickets? If there is to be live entertainment, that must also be arranged. Of course, it wouldn’t be a casino night without fabulous prizes.
Your best bet is to start early and look for impressive donations. However, even if nobody has the courtesy to offer you a speedboat or a big screen HDTV, don’t despair. Keep asking. Ask local business owners if they would be willing to make a donation in exchange for extra publicity (you can mention them as sponsors on your event tickets, in the event program, and in other forums, wherever you promote the event). If you get a lot of great donations, amp up your fundraising ability by adding a prize draw to the event. Then you can start selling raffle tickets well in advance, and add another fun component to the night as you announce the winners.
When you print up your event tickets, you can create matching event collateral at the same time: flyers and posters, invitation and raffle tickets. Printing event tickets and matching event kits really helps you get your publicity going. Announce your casino fundraising event:
• In your print or email newsletter
• To your mailing list, using printed invitation
• On your website and allied forums
• Via a press release, sent to all local news outlets
Then, start selling event tickets!
by Lance on November 17, 2010
When you’re printing event tickets for your upcoming car show, you’ve got to be ready rev up the right message. A group of Fiat enthusiasts who spend every weekend replacing spark plugs and polishing air filters has a different focus than a bunch of rat rods who just want to get their vehicles on the road. Whoever you are and whatever you drive, if you enjoy gathering together to admire your favorite vehicles, you’re probably pretty excited about organizing your group’s next car show. Now, it’s time to get your audience excited as well.
From small gatherings held in local parks attracting a limited number of ground pounders, to the fanciest, arena-style car show where dreams seem to roll off the assembly line and into your desires, you can make an event ticket to your automotive show the hottest ticket in town. I’ve seen small clubs forging their own way: a Buick club that held their show in conjunction with a local high school homecoming, a low rider show that took advantage of closed streets downtown during an annual cultural festival. The more exposure for your automotive club, the better.
If your show is to be small and informal, you may not want to sell tickets, and if your club is participating in a much larger event, with corporate sponsorship and a lot of organization, you may not need to sell tickets yourself. However, if you are selling tickets, make your show a success by selling the maximum number of tickets! How will you get the word out? Try advertising in some of these venues:
• Email newsletter
• Internet forum
• Car magazine
• Local entertainment paper
• Bulletin board at family-run parts shop or garage
• Word of mouth
Consider what kinds of tickets will sell. Perhaps you won’t charge for admission, but will require an event ticket to exhibit a car. Or, with a large show, you might offer varying levels of access: one event ticket gets visitors into the main exhibit, but VIP passes are required to enter certain rooms. I’ve also seen shows where entrance was free, and anyone could exhibit, but organizers sold tickets for the privilege of entering cars to be judged.
If you want to add a contest aspect to your show, how will you award prizes? You can do a “best of breed” competition, if it’s to be a large show. Or, you can open up the field. Consider these subjective categories:
• Most authentic restoration of a classic car
• Prettiest car
• Best craftsmanship
• Most originality in a custom car
• Best precision in workmanship
You can even add to your own profits by adding a prize draw to the event and selling raffle tickets. Just be sure to choose the perfect prizes for the raffle as well as for the contest.
• A year’s membership to your automotive club
• Subscription to a popular car magazine
• Cash
• Gift certificates to a parts catalog or store
• A set of new tires
Printing and selling event tickets is a great way to motivate your group to really plan out the details of the show. Once you have them in hand, the excitement level becomes palpable, and you know it’s really time to get the show on the road!
