One of the biggest decisions when planning an event is what to do about the catering.

What to order, how much, who has dietary requirements, and how to make your budget stretch the furthest but also not wanting to waste food by over ordering.

Today we dive into the world of event catering and cover:

• How much food to order 
• How to manage last minute cancellations and no shows
• Why you might want to reconsider a beverage package

This episode is brought to you by events academy

Download the free event planning checklist: https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/checklist 

Many people dive into planning an event before really thinking it through, or we forget to continue to look up as we’re in the trenches of planning. 

Today I’m covering 7 questions to ask yourself when planning a business event.

Now obviously there is a lot more that goes into planning an event than just 7 questions, but these are the key questions that will get you to think about the most important elements.

Resources mentioned:

• Episode#4 | Low cost additions to enhance your event
• 30 low cost ideas to add to your event
• Event briefing template

This episode is brought to you by events academy

Today is an exciting day because we are officially launching the NEW events academy!

In this episode I walk you through how and why we started Events Academy, the evolution to the NEW offering today, and what you can get out of it to help you plan events more efficiently and effectively. 

Check out the the NEW courses + resources available on demand >> https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/courses 

PLUS it wouldn't be a product launch without a freebie...

Download our free Event Planning Checklist >> https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/checklist 

Get weekly event musings, supplier recommendations and venues to visit
Sign up to receive our Events Insider emails >> https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/newsletter 

In this episode I’m joined by an admin expert to discuss tips and best practice for when you are tasked with the company event on top of your day to day work, and how to manage all the different stakeholders and collaborate with others.

Candice Burningham is the founder of Admin Avenues - Australia’s first premiere employment marketplace and community for admin professionals.

Check out Admin Avenues
Connect with Candice on instagram

This episode is brought to you by Events Academy
Grab our Software Guide for planning events

In this episode I share 12 lessons from 12 years experience planning events. Whether you're a seasoned event organiser, you plan the occasional event, or you're a total newbie, these lessons are a helpful guide to successful event planning.

No particular order. No specific theme. Just 12 key lessons that I've learnt along the way.

If you'd like to learn more about how to plan successful events without the stress, hassle, wasted time and energy, then check out Events Academy

And of course...
Connect with us on Instagram
Connect with me on LinkedIn

We know it's good to video our event, but sometimes we don't use it to the full potential. Or we pay all this money and don't really get the output we wanted (or another edit is going to cost us more). 

Today I'm joined by Rebecca Saunders, AKA the Video Ninja, who is passionate about making videography easier and simpler. In our chat she shares:

• How to maximise your video content for different formats & channels
• Price guides & what we can expect to get
• What to consider when doing a hybrid event 
  + lots more gold!

Book a 1:1 Video Consult with Rebecca or connect with her on Instagram

This episode is brought to you by events academy

My most asked question is 'how do I make sure my event is a success?'

Today I'm answering that question and giving you my roadmap for planning a successful business event.

Brought to you by Events Academy

5 Ways to Maximise Your Event Budget
https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/budget

Connect on instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/eventsacademy_/ 

Food & beverages make up a massive part of our event budget and are often crucial to the events' success, so we want to make sure we get it right. Today I'm joined by Angelica Nohra as we discuss:

• Why you should consider intimate events & private dining experiences
• Simple and easy ways to be more sustainable with our selections
• How to choose what wines to serve (and Angelica's recommendations)
• What is currently trending (and what is not so popular)

Angelica's business career started in 2007 when she started importing Prosecco into Australia. That was the beginning of Star Beverages and it's online store Direct Wine Cellars. Today she imports over 10 different wine brands from around the world, and has started a small restaurant in Surry Hills, The Blue Door, that focuses 100% on NSW produce and wine. 

This episode is brought to you by events academy

Are you tasked with planning the company Christmas party?

In today's episode I walk you through how to nail your company Christmas party (in 6 easy steps!) 

Step one is to come up with your concept, and I've done the hard work for you and put together 30 Event Ideas (so use one for this year and save the rest for future events).

Download 30 EVENT IDEAS for your company Christmas party

This episode is brought to you by events academy

We can put in the hard work planning an amazing event but if we don't get the registration and ticketing right, it can all be for nothing.

Today I'm joined by Adam McCurdie, Co-Founder of Humanitix, an event ticketing platform turning those pesky booking fees into $3million of donations every year to charities. Adam has a unique insider view on other people's events and shares with us:

• How we can setup our registration page for success
• Some crucial mistakes to avoid when setting it up the checkout
• New features to make you & your event look super professional

With a push to make events more meaningful and have a better impact on the world, I'm a big advocate for incorporating Humanitix into your event plan.

This episode is brought to you by events academy

There are so many events out there, how do we cut through? How do we get bums on seats? 

In this episode I walk you through 5 marketing strategies you can use to maximise the RSVPs, registrations and attendance to your events.

Got a question about event planning or just want to connect?

Connect with me on Instagram
Connect with me on LinkedIn

This podcast is brought to you by events academy

Wondering what events academy is all about? In this weeks episode I'm talking about who its for, what the commitment is, and what you'll learn, inside our signature 6 week program to mastering event planning. 

Join the program

Follow events academy on instagram

Connect with Jodie on LinkedIn

Let's talk about your event run sheet.

Its super critical to your event success regardless of how big or small the event is, and there are a lot of small tweaks and tips I can share from my experience to help you optimise your run sheet.

In this episode we cover:

• What is a run sheet and when do you need one?
• Where do we start and how do you put one together?
• What needs to be included in your run sheet?
• 4 tips to optimise your event run sheet

Get a copy of our Event Run Sheet Template

This episode is brought to you by events academy

In this episode we look at one specific type of event - VIP Corporate Dinners!

Every company runs these, whether its for clients, prospective clients or key staff. On the outside they seem simple, but they are often super critical to a company's objectives and we want to make sure we nail it.

So today we dive into the 3 elements to planning a successful VIP corporate dinner.

Download our Top 100 Private Dining Rooms Recommendations in Australia

Your venue is such a big part of your event and heavily impacts the guest experience and your budget. It can also be super time consuming to find the perfect venue. 

Today I'm joined by Carla Offord who is a venue sourcing specialist and the Founder & CEO of The Conference Shop. In this episode we cover:

• Getting clear on your venue brief
• The balance and importance of a good venue with a great team behind it
• Red flags when venue searching
• Negotiating on price
• New & exciting venues coming to Australia

Carla has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry and for the past thirteen years her team have been connecting corporate clients with the perfect venues for conferences, board meetings, executive retreats and seasonal parties. 

Connect with Carla on LinkedIn
Check out The Conference Shop

Whether its an interstate client dinner, team retreat or sales incentive trip - planning a destination event brings a whole new set of challenges!

In the episode I recap a recent international conference I ran and give you the insider scoop on what worked well and what I would do differently next time. Then I walk you through exactly how I go about planning a destination event and some tips to make sure it will be a success. 

Want to master event planning? 
The next intake of events academy's signature 6 week program is 22 June. Jump on the waitlist so we can let you know more about it and when you can sign up - https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/about 

Event entertainment can make or break an event. I'm sure you've been to events with good and not so good talent. So how do we make sure we nail it when the pressure is on us to organise it?

Today I'm joined by the Director of Musicland, Chad Davis, who is also a DJ himself. 

In this episode we cover:

• Thinking outside the box and getting creative with your entertainment
• How to brief your talent to ensure a successful event
• What guest engagement is really about
• And Chad's advice from 20 years experience!

Connect with Chad here: http://www.musicland.net.au/ 

Lighting, projectors, cameras, sounds systems, microphones... there is SO much to think about when it comes to AV and technology at your event, and whether its in-person, virtual or hybrid just adds another layer of complexity. 

Today I'm joined by Libbie Ray, Director of Connected Event Group (and all 'round epic Event Curator, Digital Innovator and Experience Maker). We cover lots of ground!

• Common mistakes & how to avoid them
• In-house vs Outsourced AV
• What you need to consider when selecting your venue
• Different options for delivering virtual events
• Event technology trends

If you're looking for an AV partner, reach out to Libbie and her team at Connected Event Group

When you've got the bulk of the event planned, you've got a venue, some catering, the main content, but you need something else, another 'thing' to add to make it even better. But you don't have much (or any) budget left...

I've got you! Today we go through five low cost (and even zero cost) things you can add to enhance your event.

Grab our full list of 30 ideas: https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/lowcost 

Join the waitlist for events academy: https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/about 

Finding the right speaker for your event can be time-consuming and hard! And not just finding them, but then having the right budget can add a layer of complexity too.

In today's episode I'm joined by Maggie Benjamin, General Manager of Mixi Events (part of Saxton Group) and previously Business Chicks. Maggie is an accomplished event manager with a proven ability to bring the right speakers to any event and in our chat Maggie shares her lessons and wisdom from over a decade with us.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to source and vet potential speakers

• What to do if a speaker doesn't show up or perform

• How to navigate and budget for the wide range of speaking fees in the market

• Maggie's top tip for anyone planning business events

Get in touch with Maggie
hello@mixi.events or on Instagram

This episode was brought to you by Events Academy - equipping admin professionals with the resources to plan successful business events

Trends in any industry are always a hot topic so today we dive into what's trending in the world of business events in 2023.

In this episode I use my trusty friend, ChatGPT, to tell me what it thinks are trending in events and I share my expert opinion from working in the industry on whether each trend is here to stay or if it has got to go!

You’ll learn:

• If hybrid events are still a thing
• How to add personalised experiences to your events
• Simple swaps to be more environmentally sustainable
• How to curate events with deeper connection

This episode is brought to you by events academy

Want a weekly dose of event musings, supplier spotlights and venues to visit?
Join our exclusive events insider list - https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/newsletter 

The most common question I get asked is, “Where do I start?” It's a topic I'm passionate about because I see so many people get it wrong! 

In this episode we'll dive into:

• The crucial starting point to planning a successful business event
• The 4 important things every event brief must have

Plus, since this is episode one of a brand new podcast, we'll also cover:

• What you can expect from the Events Insider podcast (so you know to hit subscribe)
• Who I am and what you can learn from me
  (P.S let's connect LinkedIn) 

This episode is brought to you by events academy

Get exclusive event insider information, tips and musings delivered to your inbox on Wednesdays (with love) - https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/newsletter 

Events Insider is a podcast to open the door on the world of business events.

Every week I’ll take you back stage with some amazing guest experts and give you the insider scoop on how to take your events to the next level.

You follow us on Instagram @eventsacademy_

Visit our website and download our free resources here - https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/ 

Today I'm joined by Janette Beedell, Founder & Director of TPM Events.

I always love chatting to other event agency owners about how they do things and in this episode we talk about how to get started when you get an event brief, how to manage a team and lots of stakeholders, how to navigate challenges when your onsite executing your event and what’s going to be really important for events in 2024.

Have you ever thought, maybe we can get some event partners and sponsors to help put on this event? Free money right? (hint: it's not!)

But yes, you can have really successful and (most importantly) mutually beneficial event partnerships.

In this episode we dive into:

• When to consider getting event partners
• The different types of partnerships
• How to create a partnership proposal 
• How to identify prospects and secure partners

EP LINKS:

Get the free Partnerships Proposal Checklist
Download our free Event Planning Checklist

Let's be friends on Instagram
Connect with Jodie on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by events academy

Today we go behind the scenes of what it's like planning Salesforce World Tour for 10,000 people with Stuart Frank. But if that's giving you heart palpitations, I encourage you to still tune in as we also talk about:

• Getting the fundamentals right, regardless of the size of the event
• Where to start when planning events and what tools he personally uses
• How to innovate when it comes to annually recurring events
• Where (and from who) to get inspiration for your business events

__

Connect with Stuart Frank
Check out Salesforce World Tour

And a few other links to things we talk about:
A tribute to David Grant 

Julius Solaris Bold Push
ChatGPT

__

This podcast is proudly brought you to by events academy

Changing it up today and answering the top 5 questions I get asked most about planning business events. 

• What software do you use to plan events?
• How do you find venues?
• How do you come with creative ideas?
• What do you do when you have a small event budget?
• What's your number one tip or piece or advice?

EA LIVE : Events Academy's first one day intensive workshop
https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/workshop

Unlike some other industries, business events are less influenced by trends. 

But there are 3 types of events that, whilst they’re not new, I’m continuing to see more of them occurring, AND more importantly, seeing the power they have to help companies achieve their objectives.

Which is why I think these are the 3 events that every company should be running this year.

_______

Event Planning Workshop: https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/workshop 

Events Academy: https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/ 

In this episode I take you behind the scenes of a recent event we ran - sharing the good, the bad and the ugly. I walk you through what we did, what worked well and what I would do differently next time. 

If you need an Event Manager for an upcoming event, reach out to us at JEM events

Or if you're keen to learn how to run successful events, join our Mastering Event Planning program at Events Academy

Today I'm joined by the wonderful Adrienne Donnelly from Organised by Adrienne, as we chat about her experience planning and managing events for her clients as a VA!

We cover:

• What makes a successful event & what she includes in her events
• How to navigate working with multiple stakeholders & committees
• What software & tools to use to manage the juggle 
• How to get started in adding event planning to your suite of services as a VA

You can connect with Adrienne at www.organisedbyadrienne.com.au

This episode is brought to you by Events Academy - equipping admin professionals to master event planning. Check out our resources & courses to make your job a lot easier! 
https://www.eventsacademy.com.au/