Looking for a New Team Member

Job Posting: Tour and Event Logistics Coordinator  
Timeframe: April 15 to August 15, 2009 (with potential for extension)
Industry: Event Planning  
Contract Fees: $800 per month
Location: Vancouver, BC  
Hours: 50 hours per month (approx. 12 hours per week, flexible schedule)
Job Type: Temporary/Contract/Project

Equipment
The contractor will be required to have their own computer (laptop preferred); access to a car for local errands is preferred but not required; a cell phone will be provided for project related calls.

About the Company
Red Wagon a full-service, strategic event design and management company that is based in Vancouver, BC. Event projects vary from conferences and training events to fundraisers and artist management. Red Wagon has been in operation for over two years and is owned/operated by Corwin Hiebert. Learn more at: http://www.redwagonmanagement.com.

Contract Overview
Red Wagon Management is currently seeking to fill a temporary contract position from April 15 to August 15, 2009 for the role of Tour and Event Logistics Coordinator. The contractor will work independently and will manage projects in a self-directed manner. From time to time, he/she will be required to attend meetings with either the project manager (Corwin Hiebert) or the client. We are looking for someone who has moderate experience in event planning and strong verbal and written communication skills.
Though this contract is short-term, the position may extend the 4 month timeframe should additional projects become available.
 

Artist Management Support
The primary project associated with this contract is specific to artist management. The contractor will be handling the booking and tour management of Wade Imre Morissette (kirtan performer, recording artist, author, and yoga instructor). Some of the tasks will include the following:
• Manage all aspects related to the confirmation of bookings (e-mail and phone)
• Coordinate transportation arrangements with travel agents, hosts, and artists
• Update a master calendar
• Prepare, send, and follow up outstanding invoices
• Support artists with financial tracking associated with the bookings
• Coordinate merchandise orders, shipping, and tracking logistics
• Support the creation of Web content in partnership with record label (Web site)
• Support the continued development of the artist fan club (creating/scheduling of e-mail newsletter, SMS campaigns, Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter, etc.)

Approximately 31 of hours will be assigned to this project per month.

Other Projects
The secondary projects associated with this contract are: 1) providing artist management support for Eileen Rothe (pop-rock artist), and if time permits, 2) the support of two local events: Camp Moomba Yogathon & Blissfest (July 11) and CREATIVEMIX (pre-event admin only). Some of the tasks will include the following:
• 1) Eileen Rothe
o Create and manage Canadian venue database
o Assist with the solicitation of performance bookings (e-mail and phone)
o Update a master calendar
o Support the continued development of the artist fan club (creating/scheduling e-mail newsletter, SMS campaigns, Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter, etc.)
• 2) Yogathon & CREATIVEMIX
o Assist with the solicitation and confirmation of exhibitors
o Help coordinate exhibitor setup needs
o Support project management tasks and errands (TBD)
o Create, distribute, and analyze post-event surveys (online)

Approximately 19 hours will be assigned to these projects per month

Skills & Attributes
Here is a list of the professional traits we expect the contractor to have:
• Some expertise in production of corporate and/or non-profit events; strengths in planning/logistics and event execution
• Exceptional client-care skills and customer service acumen; the ability  to deal with various stakeholders
• A pro-active self-starter with creative problem-solving abilities; the ability to work effectively and in a self-directed manner in a remote work environment
• Good attention to detail; flexibility and adaptability
• A team player with strong relationship skills
• Strong computer skills and experience with various Microsoft Office 2007 applications (particularly Word and Excel); the ability to produce professional e-mails, letters, and business communiqué
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Prerequisites
• Post-secondary education in a related field (fundraising, marketing, communications, event planning) or equivalent work experience
• Must have a personal computer
• Familiarity with travel logistics, shipping, and multi-event budgeting and tracking
• Familiarity with the practice of yoga is encouraged but not required

Submitting Your Resume
Please submit your resume by e-mail no later than April 13, 2009 to:
Corwin Hiebert
RED WAGON MANAGEMENT
corwin@redwagonmanagement.com

*Note: No phone calls please. Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail that their resume has been successfully received. Only successful applicants will be contacted regarding an interview. Interviews will be scheduled for the week of April 12th. Thank you in advance for your interest in working with Red Wagon Management.

My Gift to You

I know there’s a lot options out there for online event registration systems but in my mind there’s only one company that I recommend to my clients and that’s GiftTool.com. Seriously – event planners should have VERY high standards for their ecommerce solutions, I know I do, and I see to many event professionals waste their time with providers that give them sub-par services. When it comes to price, service, reporting, support, security, and usability I am constantly amazed with GiftTool.

Sure, there’s some great options out there and I realize that sometimes it’s worth sticking with the suppliers that you know and trust, but for me – I’ve seen to much and been left wanting to often. Getting up and running with GiftTool was fast and unbelievably easy. I’ve moved ALL my clients onto GiftTool (I started with the Camp Moomba Yogathon in March 2007 – using their super-cool pledgeathon system) and I’ve never looked back. To-date I have processed over half a million dollars in transactions using GiftTool and I’m confident that each purchase, donation, and sponsorship was managed perfectly.

I’ve been actively involved with event registration systems since 2004, from both the architect and management  level – both proprietary applications and international enterprise-level systems (impressive in their own right), and as a result I have e a very discerning eye. I’m not an expert but I’m picky. Truth be told, I am very proud of the work GiftTool does and am so glad they take their job as seriously as I do. They make me look good – and in this very difficult business I feel like it’s like a free gift.

My gift to you is this: email Ashely Anderson, tell him Corwin Hiebert sent you, and ask for a quote – you’ll feel like it’s your birthday (and your clients will love you).

Business Uses for Twitter

I highly recommend this article by Jodi Mardesich (Inc.). I think it’s important to understand the value and limitations of social networking tools with respect to event marketing. Many people cram event promo down their friends digital throats and that is the exact opposite of how Web 2.0 works. Authentic conversations and newsy content sharing is at the heart of this medium; event producers need to respect their networks. Microblogs should not be used to make up for a lack of demand.

Now, when it works it’s pretty cool. Here’s a good example: NaturalPod and Mama Renew blogged about an upcoming conference their participating in Healthy Families Conference and they posed a question to their customers and readers. Based on the comments/tweets/posts they awarded a prize (a free event pass). This is great. It’s authentic, action oriented, it rewards participation, and targets an audience who is 100% in the target demographic. My name is Corwin Hiebert and I approve this message.

I’ve posted a snippet of Jodi’s article below.

————

Microblogging tools like Twitter are enabling direct communication with customers. Should you be developing a Twitter strategy?

“Wow. It’s not even 9 a.m. and I got all my required things done for the day. Maybe I’ll go back to bed.“ Rich Brooks, president of Flyte New Media, a Web design and Internet marketing firm in Portland, Maine, “tweeted” that note in mid August. One of his 300 or so “followers” on Twitter, a social networking service, messaged him back, asking what made him so productive. “My secret is Pleasant Morning Buzz coffee from Whole Foods. Damn, now I have to kill you,” Brooks wrote.

Later that day, Slaton Carter, a social media coordinator for Whole Foods Market, the natural foods retailer based in Austin, messaged Brooks. His unsolicited missive, chosen as “Tweet of the Day,” had earned him a $25 gift card.

“Who says Twittering doesn’t pay?” Brooks jokes.

Welcome to microblogging, a new form of Internet communication that has interesting business possibilities. Continue reading at: http://technology.inc.com/networking/articles/200809/twitter.html

The Trouble with Sponsorship

The most common question I’m asked by emerging event planners is: why are sponsors so hard to find? My answer is simple (and hopefully helpful): Sponsors are hard to find when there’s no relationship in place. If the right relationship has been established then the ask should be tailored and simple.

There’s only two reasons to pursue sponsorship: 1) the need for revenue, and 2) the need for an audience. A sponsorship “ask” implies that an organization wants to, or needs to, share their hard earned money or promote your event in tow with their brand to their invaluable customer base. If there’s a solid relationship between the event, its organizer(s), and the participants then all you have to do is make sure you’re customizing the sponsor “ask” to meet their business needs (and hopefully make a dent in your budget). That’s not hard if you understand their business and how they make their spending decisions.

Most event “people” apply a marketing approach to the task  of securing event sponsors; that it somehow comes down to the complex strategies of brand positioning, demographics, market share, advertising impressions and fiscal benefits. The adage is that by creating great promotional value you’ll have an easier job finding sponsors. It’s all a silly exercise without a relationship. Yes, great marketing value is key but money will never change hands without an unbelievable amount of trust. I recommend event planners do what they can to lower their clients’ expectations around sponsors on the short-term but build and execute a plan that builds relationships over time. Instead of making a big “ask” this time around send a big “invite” (the wine-n-dine kind) and make sure that potential sponsor has an amazing time at your event then start with a detailed follow-up plan in preparation for next time.

As well, an event professional can not forget that the days of cash sponsorship are fading away among small and medium sized events and that gifts in-kind, or cross-promotional connections, are making up a big piece of the emerging sponsorship pie. Event planners need to embrace this. Now for a few rants: Please stop with all the medal levels. If you have to keep Platinum and Gold so be it… but please don’t create endless tiers. I don’t believe corporate sponsors get excited about holding lower levels, being trumped by the big boys communicates inferiority – that kind of ranking doesn’t show how valuable their relationship may in fact be. As well don’t create a stack of logos on your collateral – that doesn’t communicate value or strategic partnerships… it’s simply brand noise and marketing people HATE it.

Visualize This!

Okay, here’s a shout out to Western Canada’s best production company: Rocky Mountain Production Services. I’ve hired these guys for numerous events, the largest ones being the Camp Moomba Yogathon & Blissfest and the Lululemon Flip Flop Soiree, and they hit it out of the park. Sure their pricing is great but really it comes down to service – their team creates the best possible A/V environment for my events. They manage the stage and technical aspects with such effortless precision that they make  me look good. So let me say that when you need A/V for an upcoming event just call Toufic (604-255-5787); he’ll be your best friend in minutes.

A Conference for Parents & Educators

Healthy Families Conference Annoucement

Conference producer Margo Running of LifeWays Childcare Society is proud to announce a new conference coming to Vancouver this Spring: Healthy Families- Creating Community at Home and in School!

On April 18-19, 2009 educators and parents from across the Pacific Northwest will gather to participate in an event designed to inspire, support, and connect the amazing individuals who contribute to building community for our children at home and in school. This two-day conference is packed with great presentations, breakout sessions, workshops, discussion groups, and meals that will create a collaborative and participatory setting giving each participant a toolkit of resources and contacts to take home. Attend the Healthy Families Conference to learn skills and strategies to nurture strong relationships within your family and create strong ties for children within your community.

They’ve got a great line-up of speakers too! Peggy O’Mara (Mothering Magazine), Shea Darian (Author, Parent Educator), Suzanne Down (Juniper Tree Puppets), Cynthia Aldinger (LifeWays), and Anna Rainville, (Top Kindergarten Teacher in California, 2002) will present keynote topics and experiences that are guaranteed to set the tone. This conference will provide you with new ideas, relationships, and support as you continue to foster and celebrate family values in both the school environment and at home. If you’re considering attending be sure to take advantage of the early-bird registration rate and once you’re signed-up share the news with others around you (learning is always more fun with friends).

Register online at: Healthy Families Canada.

Business Building

This is my favourite time of year as an event producer. The big rush of summer is over and all my large annual projects are behind me and I can focus on the non-urgent but very important items of business that just don’t make the “A” list during the busy times. This coincides with the best time of year for me: Fall. Autumn is not only beautiful in Vancouver (warm, sunny, and colourful trees) but it’s also my wedding anniversary so it’s nice to have some downtime. I’m a pretty wired guy though and have a real hard time winding down so it’s during this hiatus from managing events that I focus on building my business. To give you a sense of what this entails I thought I’d list a few of the ways I do this:

Connect With Existing Clients. I spend a lot of time reconnecting with my clients through simple little gestures like sending a post-card, inviting them out for an organic free trade coffee, or treating them to lunch. I find this invaluable because it’s during this time that we often have the freedom to brainstorm about the next event project without anything actually on the line; it’s very freeing.

Reach-out to Potential Clients. I don’t advertise. My business is built exclusively on relationships. Each October I send out referral letters (actual letters on paper, not an e-mail) to all my business contacts. This letter is simple, it highlights a couple past projects and let the recipient know how my company can help make their next event highly successful. Not all my contacts have events but they are suppliers or know of a company that could use my help. This is a great way to build “word of mouth”.

Establish Processes and Documentation. This is the boring stuff of business, sort of. I like to review all my previous projects to see if there’s any deliverable that can be turned into a template or that needed some tweaking so that next time it can be more streamlined. This exercise helps me make more money – plain and simple. The faster my company gets at delivering excellent service the less time it will take to accomplish the project goals. This inturn gives me more time to work on new projects and generate more money. It’s not rocket science.

So, in the end… October is MY TIME of the year. I love it. I would definitely encourage every event professional to carve out a bit of time (maybe even smaller chunks twice a year) to step off the event-train and spend some time building your business. I highly recommend it.

I Love it When a Plan Comes Together

Way back in grade six I was a huge fan of the A-Team… so big in fact that I even had the lunch box. Watching Faceman and B.A. Baracus mess-up those bad guys was a great way to unwind from a stressful day in the classroom and the pressure of practicing my Corey Hart lip sink act for the all-school air band competition. However, it was Hannibal (Col. John Smith) who made that show one of my all-time favorites (Knight Rider and Air Wolf were #2 and #3). What inspired me about his character was that he always new how to deliver justice; he knew that the only way to fight chaos was to make a plan and then kick some ass. I like that kind of action.

In the event world planners so often tackle their projects by simply focusing on the logistics and I think that’s only half the plan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge advocate of managing an event project scrupulously but event planners need to realize that so often they’re brought in to make sense out of chaos but that’s only a small part of the bigger picture. Simply cleaning up someone else’s mess is not a great scenario for a professional who knows how to make a gathering into a memorable event that has a flare no one else but you can bring. Now, if the event is reoccurring, or you’ve been slotted in as the flavour/planner of the year, or you’re taking over from an employee, you’re likely to have very little input into the strategic nature of the project. The best you’ll be able to do is simply organize the tasks, deliverables, timelines, suppliers, and people in order to pull off the gig. That’s just the way it is sometimes.

Now, please know that I wouldn’t recommend to any event professional that they mess with an event right out of the gate as it’s important to build trust with your client. As well, you rarely know all of all the factors, stakeholders, and have a big enough picture when you first get involved. However, if you’re going to do more than be an event administrator you’ll need to put a plan together that does more than just make sense of chaos but it actually helps transition the project into an event that creates better results and elevates you to the stakeholder level. It’s like your own little act of justice against the previous perpetrator (planner).

I suggest creating a report that shows your client the best and worst of their event and make sure your recommendations are quick to follow. Do this by doing two simple things: 1) Take detailed notes throughout the project planning period and the actual event that shows the growth areas and strategic outcomes that were missed. Then, with permission of course, send out a detailed post-event evaluation for stakeholders, suppliers, and guests (use SurveyMonkey) so that you can collect feedback to support your vision. Try not to ask to many leading questions but highlight the areas that you perceive as critical to helping your clients get the most out of their event.

At the end of the day it’s all about putting a plan together and making sure that it’s helping build your legacy with the event and your client. Trust me, the A-Team is never wrong.

Gear-up Kelowna!

Kelowna’s Gospel Mission is hosting their inaugural 30k Club Bikeathon this September in an effort to broaden its fundraising reach within the community. Cyclists will ride the Mission Creek Greenway in support of the 30k Club campaign and do their part to help build more transitional housing by raising over $30,000. Kelowna’s Gospel Mission is hosting this recreational cycling event for people of all ages and abilities and is not a race; it’s simply a big ride for a great cause! 

The Mission Creek Greenway EECO Centre (at the South end of Leckie Road) will be the rallying point for this fundraising event on Saturday, September 20, 2008. The day will kick-off with a free power breakfast for all of the registered riders starting at 7:30am. Before the ride commences at 9:00am there will be live music by the 30k Club’s feature artist Ryan Donn and awards presentations. There are three different routes that cyclists can choose from: 6km, 12km, or 30km. Those interested in participating are encouraged to register online prior to the event at www.30kclubbikeathon.com; registration is only $10. Funds are raised through the online pledging system where each team and rider has their own personal fundraising web page.

The 30K Club is an effort by Kelowna’s Gospel Mission to create transitional homes within the community of Kelowna through programs that will lead homeless men and women into a life of wholeness and hope. With donors committing $30/ month the necessary funds to build and maintain these transitional homes will be available. 

If you are a member of the media and would like to interview a 30k Club representative please contact Christine Stass at 250-763-3737. 

About Ryan Donn – The hit song “Love will lead you home” by Ryan Donn has been given the honour of being the signature song for the 30K Club campaign. When visiting www.30kclub.com viewers can watch a powerful music video featuring Ryan’s song and some amazing images and stories which are sure to impassion Kelowna residents to take up the challenge of helping end homelessness in their community.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Most people agree that wine is probably the most sophisticated social drink in the world. And though I don’t produce many social events, when I do, I take the decision regarding the wine supplier very seriously. When I produce an event with alcohol service I focus on quality verses quantity, I only work with distributors who are active in the community, and like all my supplier decisions I insist on working with really, really, really nice people.

This past summer I had the privilege of managing the lululemon athletica Flip Flop Soiree (a swanky backyard cocktail party at a Vancouver mansion. This old Hollywood themed event was hosted by Chip Wilson and was catered by the world-famous Rob Feenie (Canada’s Iron Chef) and the amazing food concept team at Cactus Club Cafe. The decision regarding a wine sponsor/supplier was not taken lightly as the crowd was definitely high on the highbrow scale. Enter Barefoot Wines. This California-based winery produces world-class wine and proactively promotes their product in local markets through community participation (not advertising). Their support was unparalleled and they took on every aspect of the wine service. Their Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon are absolute spectacular! This garden party for 500 people was not a simple gig – they had their hands that’s for sure… good thing they wore shoes that day.

Hats off (or should I say shoes off) to Aaron Krombholz and Barefoot Wines in their exceptional product and wonderful support of our event. The event raised over $70,000 for InspireHealth (Canada’s foremost integrated cancer-care agency). If you’re looking for a great supplier, check to see if Barefoot Wines is active in your area; you’ll be glad you checked. Cheers!