Planning the Perfect Celebration
May 30, 2008Celebrations!
They are held for birthdays and anniversaries; for giving and receiving awards; for accomplishments like selling the most widgets or winning a game or tournament. We celebrate when someone who was sick gets well, has a marriage or civil union, and brings a baby or child into their lives.
Celebrating makes people feel good--it's always nice to be publicly recognized because you did something great, reached a certain age, beat the odds, or even "just because."
Recently, I was honored and celebrated by the meeting planning industry's Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). The event was beautiful, well done, appropriate in timing and style, and could serve as a model for other events. My family, friends, and fellow honorees Debra Rosencrance and Charles Ahlers enjoyed the evening and the tributes.
PCMA did a wonderful job, but oftentimes, celebrations and events are painful and surprisingly unmemorable. We wonder about the planning, and even say out loud, "What were they thinking?"
A celebration does not succeed for the same reasons that meetings and other events do not succeed: we do not ask the right questions for every aspect of the event. When planning a special event, keep the following questions in mind and you can ensure success!
- Who is being honored? What is their style? How will we make the event appropriate for that person or persons?
- Is the occasion appropriate to mark? Is there anything that might cause people to question a celebration of the occasion, or the timing of such an event? Do we know if there are any religious, spiritual, or ethnic reasons that what we do or how we do it might be inappropriate?
- Who should be involved in planning? Are other people besides the honoree going to be acknowledged at the event?
- Is the honoree going to be comfortable in the setting?
- How will we ensure the appropriate press or other coverage for the event?
When you begin to plan a celebration, you must realize that the event should spotlight those being honored, and is not just an emphasis on lighting, décor, and entertainment. Use my guideline questions as a basis for the next celebration you plan.
For the close of this column, it is appropriate to say HOORAY! MAZEL TOV! WOWEE! to Keppler Speakers for celebration its 25th anniversary! It is an honor for me to be able to write for this company, which has so much integrity. To Jim Keppler and company, thank you for doing good work and for continuing to uphold the standards you set in 1983. May Keppler Speakers enjoy another 25 years of success and more!