How to top last years event

Your event has ended, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, everyone is raving about what a hit it was. At first, you're extremely excited that everyone enjoyed themselves, but then reality starts to sink in.

How in the world are you going to top this event next year?

Get Feedback

While your event may have been a smash, there are almost always ways you can improve on it. To figure out the best ways to make your event production even better, solicit feedback from attendees, employees and vendors to find out if they had heard or noticed areas that needed improvement. Maybe, the lines to get in your event were backed up because you didn't have enough people taking tickets or a concession stand was located in a low traffic area so it didn't earn the income you had expected. Learn from these mistakes and make adjustments and improvements accordingly.

Publicity

If attendance at your function was lower than you expected, your event strategy for next year should include ways to increase your visibility with the public. One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to generate buzz about your event is to utilize social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Fortunately, actively publicizing your event on these two sites shouldn't add any more cost to your event planning budget.

You might also want to consider partnering with a coupon site, such as Groupon or Living Social. These sites will not only help you to generate more interest for your event, but they can also be an effective way to help you sell more tickets.

Choose an Exciting New Venue

If you've been throwing your event in the same old hotel ballroom year after year, isn't it about time that you move your event to a venue with more atmosphere, such as Miami's Soho Studios. Located in the vibrant Wynwood Art District, this 65,000-square-foot structure with its industrial detailing can add an edgy, modern look and feel to your event.

Surprise!

Everyone loves surprises and great ones can really make an event memorable. If you, for instance, hire a special guest for your festivities, you may want to conceal his identity until the day of your event. This could create great buzz and interest in your event as everyone tries to guess who your special guest may be.

Sound for all types of events

When putting together audio for your event it is important to consider what sort of experience you will be putting in front of your audience. Event production is a craft that requires fine skill matched with detailed information given ahead of time to achieve to best results. A sound engineer can work magic when backed into a corner but like any other trade, the more prepared they are going in then the better the results will be coming out the other side. If possible, try to give them a Technical Writer with your sound requirements well ahead of your event.

Selecting the correct type of sound system for a live show, electronic act or keynote speaker is vital to good production. Selecting a sound engineer with the right equipment is crucial. Utilize the sound system that is supposed to be used with your particular type of event. For example, choosing the PA for a keynote presenter at a convention will be different than the PA you would need for a performance based act, such as a live band or DJ.

It is important to match your audio needs for all events including functions such as trade shows and conferences.  Although many party venues in Miami come with in-house sound production, not all of the venues in Miami will. In this case you will need to hire a mobile sound production companies. Most sound production companies are equipped to handle everything from live music, DJ’s, corporate events and various other types of events.

Your guests and attendees should be talking about the night for a long time to come, this means that the event production has to be flawless. Hire a professional sound engineer for your event that understands everything from your equipment needs to the acoustics of the venue.

A professional audio experience will have the audience focusing on the event. A negative one will have them talking about the poor production value at your event. Make sure the hype is positive! It can make all the difference to your sonic landscape.

Crowdfunding your event

If your event budget doesn't seem to quite be enough to pull off the type of event you visualize in your mind, there is a relatively new source of funds for event planning. Crowdfunding uses the internet to appeal to like-minded individuals who each provide small amounts of money to help get projects funded.

These individuals use websites like KickStarter.com to search for projects that interest them, and help them contribute to the bigger picture. For event planning, this can lead to some exciting options for funding, especially when dealing with events related to the arts or that benefit non-profit organizations. Crowdfunding in general and Kickstarter in particular are changing the way a lot of projects are getting funded.

Since their start just 4 years ago Kickstarter has had over 4 million people pledge over $618 million that has funded an amazing 41,000 creative projects. Anyone can get a project funded via Kickstarter as long as their guidelines are followed..

At the Wynwood District's Soho Studios, we have 65,000 square feet of space that can be used for concerts, an art gallery, and fundraisers. Our space can be used in variety of ways to showcase talent that may otherwise be missed by the mainstream media. If you are an event planner seeking a venue in Miami or Southern Florida, contact us as Soho Studios. We have a history of putting on events that range from the intimate to those that are global in nature. We can even help you in the development of your creative event, and help provide you with the information you may need to get Kickstarter funding.

Our team of experienced, creative people can be a tremendous asset when planning an event that involves the arts. Tap into that creativity. When searching for event space Miami, remember the importance the venue makes in the success of your event. Consider the versatile, creative atmosphere of Soho Studios.

Absolut X

Absolut Vodka came to Miami for their Absolut X event

With several thousand RSVP's only 2000 could come in. There was a line that went around a city block.

Those who were lucky to get in also had the opportunity to go crazy for the Absolut photo booth.

Then finally Bloc Party came on to get the party started.

At one point the crowd went nuts as the confetti descended on the dance floor during Bloc Party's performance.

John Lermayer was also present to shake a few drinks and show off some of his amazing skills by his mixology station.

The Absolut event was amazing. Free drinks all night, with plenty of bars through out our large Armory Studio. To make the night even tastier Absolut Tune was served during the night. For those of you who don't know about the new Absolut Tune, this drink is made of sparkling wine fused with vodka.

During the night guests could have a masquerade-themed makeover that took place center stage. This was a huge success among the guests as they had the chance to get the smokey eye and aloof facial makeup. Those who didn't have the guts to get a makeover, could get masks that were given out for free.

The pies de resistance of the night, was Bloc Party. One of Britain's biggest bands that came to grace the stage for a couple of hours

Check out some photos from the night.

COAST Show Miami

 

From humble beginnings in 2006, COAST Show debuted in Miami and has become one of the most know fashion shows in America. Karen Bennett, founder of COAST Show is a native from Chicago, Illinois and has been involved in couture fashion marketing as well as owning her own designer boutique store.

Now in 2013 Karen Bennett's COAST Show has increased so much that her show has become the epicenter of fashion trade shows in Miami. COAST Show now boasts over 250 collections and showrooms from across the country including Milly, Tibi, robbi & nikki, Citizen of Humanity, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, James Jeans, and Genetic Denim. For a full list of fashion labels click here.

COAST Show features different showrooms consisting of L'Atelier Group, Hotline Showroom, Simon Showroom, Joey Showroom, Lily Kate Showroom, Community Service, The Globe Showroom, Point A Showroom, and Blend Showroom.

What separates COAST Shows from every other fashion show? Well Karen Bennett made sure that her show was intimate allowing exhibitors to work closely with buyers. By making it intimate the whole experience becomes personalized. The goal is simple, create a space where the show is stress free allowing buyers to purchase high end luxury goods freely and with no pressure.

SHUTTLE SERVICE:

COAST will be hosting a daily shuttle on Show Days. The Shuttle Service will be available for pick up and drop off from The James Hotel and The Shore Club** to/from Soho Studios.

**Please note that you do not have to stay at The James Hotel or The Shore Club in order to use the shuttle. You can book at any local Hotel and catch the Shuttle at The James Hotel or The Shore Club.

COMPLIMENTARY SHUTTLE SCHEDULE: The Shuttle will pick up at The James Hotel and will then stop at The Shore Club, followed by Soho Studios. *Shuttle From the James Hotel to Soho Studios: 8:30am* | 9:00am* | 9:30am* | 10:00am* | 10:30am* 10:30am - Last scheduled am departure Shuttle pick up will be located on the street directly outside of The James Hotel/Shore Club on the Street.

Shuttle from Soho Studios (located outside front door) to James Hotel/Shore Club: 4:30pm* | 5:00pm* | 5:30pm* | 6:00pm* | 6:30pm* 6:30pm - Last scheduled pm departure Shuttle pick up will be located just outside of Soho Studios entrance *Schedules may vary slightly due to traffic. Shore Club pick up/drop off will directly follow The James Hotel pick up/drop off.

VALET PARKING is available for a $5 fee. The Valet will be located at the main entrance on NW 22nd Street.

If you are an exhibitor and want to know more please click here.

Dates from previous Coast Show in Miami

COAST Show is a fashion event that is not to be missed. The next COAST Show will take place on June 2nd between 10am to 5:30pm and June 3rd between 10am to 5pm. For directions please click here or view the map below.

View Larger Map

If you are a buyer, exhibitor or part of the press please click here for further information.

Choosing the right day for your event

One of the most difficult aspects of event planning is finding the day that works for everyone. As the event planner, you must coordinate the schedules of multiple people, including speakers, entertainment and caterers, with the available dates of your preferred venue.

Event planning in big cities like Miami can be especially difficult. Event space Miami and party venues in Miami are often booked up months in advance so you will need to reserve your dates as soon as possible. However, you should never pick a date in haste. It is important to do your due diligence to make sure that there aren't other events in the area that could conflict with yours. For example, having your event in the same time frame and in the same area as a marathon or a parade could mean that your guests will have to navigate through blocked-off roads and nightmare traffic to reach your event. So take the time to research what other events might be planned for your local area.

Also, check to see if any competitors or businesses that are in a similar industry are putting on events on the same day or weekend as yours. Two similar events planned for the same time frame could be a financial disaster for everyone involved, especially if you are trying to divvy up the same small pool of likely participants.

Successful event planning often means thinking outside of the box. What if, for instance, you have everyone on board for a certain date, but all the typical party venues in Miami, such as the convention center or hotel conference rooms, are booked up. Don't change the date. Instead, search out interesting venues such as Soho Studios, which is a huge, 70,000-square-foot structure with avant garde industrial detailing that is located in Miami's Wynwood Art District. Not only will you be able to have your event on your desired date, having it in a non-conventional venue will give it a more interesting feel and look.

Date selection is one of the most important duties of an event planner. Choosing the right one can mean a successful event with high attendance, while selecting the wrong one could have disastrous consequences.

What is your event strategy?

Planning an event is only half the battle. You also need clever event marketing techniques that will convince people they cannot afford to miss your event. Marketing your event is made much easier when you turn to the Internet as a resource and craft a digital event strategy. It lets you engage more people while removing time and geographical constraints found in other forms of marketing.

You should consider these important elements in crafting a digital strategy for your next event:

Create Social Media Conversations

Initiating conversations through social media channels is an effective tool for getting people to talk about your event. For your Twitter account, for example, you should decide on all event hashtags in advance. Then start promoting those hashtags on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and other popular social media sites. Encourage people to follow the event hashtags for news and information related to your event. Create a pre-event network and allow attendees to submit proposals and offer feedback on your upcoming event. Giving them a voice will make your event more appealing.

Blog about It

You can't surf anywhere on the Internet without splashing into a blog. Still, there is no reason why you shouldn't blog about your event. You can consider a couple of options with blogging. The first is to live blog during the event. You can post photos and offer real-time updates on what is happening. This approach works well with annual events.

A second option is to blog about the event afterward. You can create a post that summarizes the event and link to any other relevant posts covering the event. Incorporate SEO keywords tied to your event so people can easily find blog posts in search engines and share them with their friends.

Engage with Mobile Apps

Create a mobile app for your event. It can offer attendees access to the event calendar or schedule. They can browse through scheduled speakers and entertainers, venue information, ticket prices and everything else related to the event. Mobile event apps will help keep your audience continuously engaged before and during the event so that you can accomplish your goals.

Absolut X Miami Event

ABSOLUT® WELCOMES THE NEXT GENERATION OF COLLABORATION WITH X AT OUR VENUE ON MAY 16TH AT 9:00 pm.

This ABSOLUT® X event will be the epicenter of Art, Music and Cocktails. Featuring indie rock band Bloc Party, Miami contemporary artist Agustina Woodgate & mixologist Lermayer will be combing their talents during Absolut's X event.

Taking experiential marketing to a whole new level with this event in Miami, ABSOLUT®  will incorporate music, art and mixology providing an immersive experience.

Soho Studios is located in Wynwood, Miami's arts district. Our venue is the perfect location for experiential marketing events. Repeating the success of Swedish House Mafia and Absolut's event at Soho Studios in 2012. We look forward to this exciting event in Miami.

Bloc Party are a four-piece from London who specialize in creative rock music and who have defined themselves as one of the UK’s most loved musical exports. Upon release of their debut, Silent Alarm in spring 2005, Bloc Party were catapulted into the global spotlight, garnering worldwide fans and critical acclaim, with the NME voting Silent Alarm “Album of the Year” and Urb Magazine calling Bloc Party “Band of the Year.” They made their American television debut on “Late Show with David Letterman,” which was soon followed by a performance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”.

Bloc Party will partner with Agustina Woodgate to create an interactive artistic collaboration, and perform hits like “Children of the Future” from their most recent album Four. Guests will create custom ABSOLUT® masks to develop their “ABSOLUT® self,” making their dream identity a reality. Working with the non-profit Architecture for Humanity, Woodgate’s finished art will be donated and installed in a selected public space, leaving a piece of ABSOLUT X to live on in Miami.

Agustina Woodgate aims to create art that fosters exchanges between people rather than encounters between a viewer and an object. Through these exchanges, meaning is elaborated collectively, rather than in the space of individual consumption.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1981. She graduated from the Instituto Universitario Nacional de Arte, Buenos Aires,  Argentina in 2004. Often responding to a place or situation, Woodgate makes objects, site-specific and context-based installations, performance, and collaborative event-based projects that focus on the interplay between human beings and their surrounding environment at both macro and micro levels. Site specificity is usually the point of departure for her creative process, involving research into the site and its relations. Agustina works inclusively and socially, finding new access points for communication to create public, intensive, and process-oriented works. She currently lives and works in Miami, FL.

Serving as ABSOLUT X’s instigator of creativity, Agustina and her work encourage thought and challenge “the norm.”

From Andy Warhol to Swedish House Mafia, ABSOLUT® VODKA has a long history of collaborating with and supporting cultural provocateurs. With the launch of ABSOLUT® X, the brand is challenging partygoers to transform their present and futures, creating a new reality where there are no rules. ABSOLUT® X will continue to ask “What is your X?” in Seattle, New York City and Philadelphia this summer. For more information visit ABSOLUT X.

Using Smart Phones to engage your audience

The mobile revolution is not a marketing scheme or a desperate ploy of journalists to fill column inches. It is a real and concrete thing. More and more people don't have a computer at home or use it mostly as a database and a media dump. People have in their hands a device capable of doing almost everything that your average person used their home computer for. By far the biggest aspect of this is the internet.

This makes it imperative that you are using smart phone to promote your event. People are no longer heads in the doors. They are advertisers and partners. They draw people to your event and spread the word for you. It is absolutely necessary that you create an event, and an image for your event, that makes people want to invite their friends. It should make them want to share your event with everyone they know.

This means that you must harness the moment. People no longer go home, check out a web page, absorb information and then choose to share it or whatever else they might do. Now, with mobile apps for your event, you can have people scan a bar code, download your app and instantly access the world of your event. They are immediately engaged and participating.

This is what you want. Advertising and spreading the word is no longer a passive endeavor. It is no longer a matter of getting eyes on your message. It is about creating a message and an event that gets people involved in sharing it with their friends. You are creating a street team with mobile apps for your event. You are creating an army of partners who are interested in making your event a success because they will be there. They want the event to be amazing.

Technology has turned word of mouth into the ONLY event promotion technique that matters. Word of mouth has always been a side item. It is time for it to take center stage.

Selling concert tickets online

These days if you are planning an event you need to provide the ability to buy tickets online. Thankfully, there are online ticket resources available that make it easy and secure. When you sell concert tickets online it increases your odds of success, help track your marketing efforts, and can result in quicker cash flow. If you want to know how to sell concert tickets online, and what options are available, we provided some resources below.

Event Espresso

Event Espresso is a WordPress plug-in that can put you in total control of your ticket sales without outsourcing. If you have multiple events you will find the event calendar useful, but Event Espresso has so much more. It has multiple ticket and pricing options, and the ability to collect payments immediately through a variety of payment options like Paypal and Authorize.net.

Ticket Web

Ticket Web is an online third party resource that you can use to sell your tickets, without creating your own ticket availability page. All you need is a browser and your event can be online quickly. Ticket Web is mobile capable, and even has the ability to get your event listed on Ticketmaster.

Event Brite

Event Brite can not only create an event and publish it online, it also has the ability to sell tickets online for your event. Event Brite offers the option for you to even accept donations that are appropriate for your event.

Ticket Bud

Ticket Bud offers flat fee pricing for your event so you know upfront what your ticket sales costs will be. They allow for event sponsorship integration to your event page, event page customization and they have a free ticket scanning app for Android and iOS. For events that are free, Ticket Bud offers a free events page.

Show Clix

This is another third party site that will take care of it all. You can use ShowClix to build an event page, and create multiple ticket types and discounts. They will provide you with reports and have in-house credit card processing and offer direct deposits. They also offer a free ticket scanning app and social media tools to help you promote your event. ShowClix charges your customers a service fee with no upfront fees or additional costs to the promoter.

There are many other third party and software vendors available for your online ticket sales, so find one that works best for your particular event.

If you are in search of party venues in Miami, contact us a Soho Studios. Our versatile state of the art spaces are available for concerts, parties, trade shows, conventions, exhibitions, concerts and photo shoots and more.