The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning : With Companion CD-ROM (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

A successful event or seminar takes a clear vision and an enormous amount of planning, details and follow up. Successful Event Planning is a valuable resource and a must have for any department or organization that puts on events or seminars regardless of size. --Karen R. McLaughlin, APR, CEO, QB Comm, Inc., Fremont, CA

Product Description

Gathering people together for a special event is always a challenge even for the experienced planner for each event is unique. This book is designed to empower any planner to meet all challenges that surround a production. Whether you find yourself in charge of one important event or you have chosen event planning as a career, you want your events to be incredibly successful and remembered for years to come. A memorable event is one that flows smoothly with every detail carefully orchestrated and produced meticulously with the participant in mind. Successful events do not just happen; they are the result of hard work, creativity, awareness, and careful attention to detail. Every detail! Successful Event Planning is the most thorough, concise, and easy to follow event planning book available. From the initial concept to ongoing management, this book has techniques to increase your chances of success and systems to avoid many common mistakes. It shows you dozens of ways to save time and money and introduces you to every facet of the planning process. This ultimate guidebook equips the reader with new ideas, support, and creative problem-solving skills. The chapters follow the dynamics of the actual event planning process and are supported by extensive checklists and timelines. As the reader undertakes the complexities of daily responsibilities and tasks, Successful Event Planning inspires efficiency and confidence and makes it possible to stay on track. Whether you are a professional or a novice, you will find this guidebook a must-have if you are planning the Academy Awards or your daughter's wedding. The information found in this book is suitable for creating any event for any theme, size, location, or budget. Two significant, timely, and relevant advantages this book offers that you will not find elsewhere are Environmental Friendly practices and the latest up-to-date technology applications and gadgets. **2007 Eric Hoffer Book Awards: Notable in Bus

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL) (January 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910627924
• ISBN-13: 978-0910627924
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,440 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Event Planning Made Easy, January 22, 2007

By	Paige Jackson "Escape To Another World" (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Are you an event coordinator? Me neither! Or at least that's what I thought until the day I had to plan a seminar for a client as part of my "your gal Friday" business. How hard could it be, right? Three days later I was hovering close to a nervous breakdown - so I purchased this book. A week and a half later I put on a professional seminar, didn't have a nervous breakdown, and now have so many referrals I'm actually considering adding event planning to my portfolio! Whether you're planning a surprise birthday party, a conference, a tournament of some sort, or even the biggie - a wedding - this book is for you.

Shannon Kilkenny provides checklists, timelines, and money saving tips that anyone can use in any circumstance whether it's a social event or a business event. The author also discusses those situations that most of us have nightmares about and gives tips and ideas on what to do when something goes wrong, as it invariably will. The book is filled with creative insight, step-by-step walkthroughs, and a lively sense of humor. In addition, the book comes with a CD packed with templates, guides, certifications, evaluations, room design, and numerous other guidelines and resources.

So, if you're planning Grandma's 90th birthday - this book is for you. If you're planning the yearly conference for your company - this book is for you. And if you're planning a seminar with expected attendance of 30,000 - this book is for you!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a life saver!, January 23, 2007

By	Tricia Psarreas "Trish" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have thrown a few large events together in the past, and I must admit that none of them were very successful. Since I decided against hiring an event planner, I had to rely on myself for all of the details - and you never really notice how many details need to be worked out until you realize how many details you forgot. No matter how much food you prepare and how many people you invite, something is bound to go wrong. As Shannon Kilkenny's `The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning' explains, Murphy's Law will always make sure that something will go wrong. But with this book at my disposal, I feel like a lot more things are bound to go right.

This book explains all of the things that you tend to forget when you plan a large event. It teaches you everything you need to know to put together an unforgettable event, from where to host it, to how to protect your guests, to how to market it. Kilkenny's book also explains how you can save money without compromising the quality of your event, what to do in case of an unforeseen problem, and what to do when the event is over. Simply put, this book really is a complete guide that will teach you everything you need to know about event planning.

I found all of the information in the book to be highly helpful and I greatly enjoyed the personable tone of the book. Another great feature is the CD-ROM that comes with the book. The book will teach you everything that you need to do to make your event a success; the CD will help you utilize everything that you learned. All of the CD's checklists, timeline guides, and ideas on how to set up your event will ensure that everything you learned will be put to good use. Between this book and the CD, it is doubtful that you could ever throw even a remotely unmemorable event ever again!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Planning an Event? Here's Your Blueprint for Success!, January 22, 2007

By	Robert Gardner - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Let's face it. When you're in charge of planning an event--any event--you're the one with the reputation on the line. If the event succeeds or flops, people who were there will remember you. So you can't afford to overlook even the smallest planning detail. You need insurance against failure--and that's where this book comes in!

Anyone who's on the hot seat for planning an event can't afford to be more than an arm's length away from Shannon Kilkenny's unmatched expertise. No matter what the occasion or how many people will be at your event, this guide covers everything you must know to ensure its success. And I'm not just talking about the obvious checklist of to-do's most planners have to deal with--things like location, timeline, budget, and agenda. You'll also get invaluable insight on orchestrating the event's end-to-end "intangibles" like mood, vision, and take-away memories that most of us overlook or don't even know about. These are the make-or- break elements of the event!

It doesn't matter whether you're talking about a small birthday party for a family member or a Fortune 100 black-tie social for hundreds of VIPs, this book delivers the can't-miss wisdom from a planner who's "been there, done that." And there's even a companion CD with sample agreements, forms, and templates you can use in your upcoming planning efforts!

So don't even think about bringing your next event to the drawing board without this book.

-- Robert Gardner, Ph.D.