The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events [Hardcover]

Judy Allen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047083188X | ISBN-13: 978-0470831885 | Publication Date: September 16, 2002 | Edition: 1st

Practical tools and expert advice for professional event planners

Before planning an event, there is much that must be done behind the scenes to make the event successful. Before any thought is even given to timing or location of the event, before the menus are selected and the decor designed, there are proposals to be written, fees and contracts to be negotiated, and safety issues to be considered. This book takes you behind the scenes of event planning and explains every aspect of organizing and strategic planning. This book will be of value to both the professional event planner and to clients who are dealing with planners.

Its comprehensive coverage includes: how to prepare winning proposals, and how to understand them if you are the client; how to determine management fees; negotiating contracts; safety issues; designing events in multicultural settings; and new technology that makes operations more efficient (such as online registration and response management, database project management tools). The book also includes practical tools such as sample letters of agreement, sample layouts for client proposals, forms, and checklists. Professional event planner Judy Allen offers first-time or professional event planners all the top-class advice they need to make their special events come off without a hitch.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book has it all! It's the key that unlocks the mystery behind event planning." -- Leslie McNabb, Senior Manager, Event Planning, Scotia Capital (Back of Book Endorsement)

"Written for anyone who has to prepare dynamite meetings and special events...a must-have desktop reference." -- Susan Fenner Ph.D, Manager, Education and Professional Development, International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)(Back of Book Endorsement)

A thorough, well designed, and easy to read book ... a valuable resource for anyone who works in special events. -- Charity Village Newsweek, September 16, 2002

Allen’s latest offering zeros in on issues involved executing special events. Check out the useful and educational sample proposals. -- Meetings and Incentive Travel Magazine, October 2002, Janet White Bardwell, Associate Editor

Chapters on contracts, negotiations and fees are impressive. The all-business companion to Allen's "Event Planning The Ultimate Guide." -- Meeting News

It's the how-to that's a must-do for the meetings, incentive, and event planning industry! -- Peggy Whitman, President, Society of Incentive & Travel Executives SITE

Make sure this guide finds a spot on your bookshelf. It's not an exaggeration to say it covers every aspect. -- Successful Meetings Magazine, November 2002

Make sure this soup-to-nuts bible of event planning finds a place on your bookshelf--or better yet in your briefcase. -- Michelle Gillan, Senior Editor, Successful Meetings Magazine

More than 300 pages of practical advice for foolproof planning -- peppered with boldface tips for troubleshooting potential problems. -- Special Events Magazine, November 2002, Lisa Hurley, Editor

This book covers everything from strategic objectives to the signing of contracts ... there is little that Allen has overlooked. -- Marketing Magazine, February 2003

Review

"The Business of Event Planning is a must-read for those in the event planning business. Strategic in through and design and user-friendly in presentation, it literally tells you the paths to follow and the pitfalls to avoid. Well told, with examples to follow and stories to relate to, it's the 'how-to' that's a 'must-do' for the meetings, incentive, and event planning industry."
— Peggy Whitman, President, Society of Incentive & Travel Executives; and Western Regional Sales Director, Marriott Incentive Awards

"As more and more administrative professionals are assigned meeting planning responsibilities, there needs to be an easy-to-understand, fool-proof, quick read by someone who has been there and done it successfully. Written for anyone who has to prepare dynamite meetings and special events, The Business of Event Planning is your Bible and a must-have desktop reference. Thank, Judy Allen! You saved the day!"
— Susan Fenner Ph.D., Manager, Education and Professional Development, International Association of Administration Professionals (IAAP)

"Guidance for new planners, reminders for experienced ones, and useful tips for everyone. This book has it all! It's the key that unlocks the mystery behind event planning, and should be mandatory reading for planners everywhere."
— Leslie McNabb, Senior Manager Event Planning, Scotia Capital

PRAISE FOR JUDY ALLEN'S FIRST BOOK Event Planning

"Allen is a good teacher. Wise planners will add Event Planning to their personal reference library as a useful working guide."
— Meeting Professional Magazine

"A blueprint for executing events for 50 or 2,000, with budgets of a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands."
— Success Magazine

"Event Planning gives readers a blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair. Consider the book as preventative maintenance."
— Sales Promotion Magazine

"A guide to well planned events. Event Planning is a must for any PR maven."
— Marketing Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1st edition (September 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047083188X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470831885
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judy Allen is one of the world's leading authorities on staging, event and lifestyle design and the bestselling author of ten books for the professional, business and consumer markets in addition to being course adopted by Universities around the world. Harvard deemed Allen's book on business ethics a "must read" for all business professionals involved in corporate events. Allen's Event Planning series of books has been translated into seven languages and Allen's books have sold over eight million dollars in retail sales.

Allen, a master of creative design, has flawlessly executed successful special events--corporate, social, and celebrity--for up to 2,000 guests at a time in more than 30 countries around the world. She has designed and produced memorable events such as Disney's worldwide theatrical opening-night gala for Beauty and the Beast, and the orchestration of Oscar-winning director Norman Jewison's 25th anniversary celebration for Fiddler on the Roof.

Highly skilled in staging events that are strategically designed to be one-of-kind experiences and a master of transforming the energy of an event environment by engaging the senses with trademark primary design principles, Allen has worked closely with CEOs, CFOs, presidents and their executive staff around the globe to create, implement and oversee their corporate and social business events.

The many diverse events that Allen has designed and executed extend from complex one-day events to elaborate arrangements of theme productions taking place over the course of a week. These events ranged from very exclusive VIP events to multimillion-dollar, multimedia fantasy extravaganzas including seven new-car product launches and involved high-tech stage and show productions.

Allen is now bringing her dynamic creative energy, innovative style and perceptive insight to self discovery, self development, self investment and home, life experience, life environment and lifestyle design through her new suite of books that will be launched beginning fall 2012 and other initiatives.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with Knowledge!, April 29, 2003

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events (Hardcover)

Planning a corporate party or special event? Don't lift a finger until you've read The Business of Event Planning. In this highly practical book, author Judy Allen covers every aspect of the process in exhaustive detail. Allen, an author, writer and experienced event planner, contends that events are more than just feel-good activities. Events, she says, must be staged as strategic tools with return-on-investment potential. If you want to know how, she covers all the basics. Even though the book is geared toward large events, the principles can be applied to functions of any size. Allen includes details of proposal writing, itineraries, contract negotiations, fee setting, high tech applications and security concerns in a post-September-11 world. We from getAbstract recommend this logistical guide to corporate staffers or event planners who want to master the fine details.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, August 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events (Hardcover)

This book gives a step-by-step plan on how to plan special events. It is a great reference for anyone who plans a career in this filed. I would also recommend Guerilla PR Wired by Michael Levine along with this book. These two cover the basis for PR and events planning.

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Planning for Planners, August 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events (Hardcover)

With a strong endorsement from Susan Fenner Ph.D, Manager, Education and Professional Development, International Association of Administrative Professionals, Allen strives to teach the how-tos of planning special events. This incredibly detailed profession has been known to send any number of otherwise level-headed individuals screaming and dashing for the exits.

Yet, with Allen's assistance and Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired, which explains the promotions side of events, both a newcomer and an experienced professional can benefit from this book.

Well-written, this book may save many a person from high blood pressure.