Customer Reviews

Gala!: The Special Event Planner for Professionals and Volunteers (Capital Ideas)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I ordered the book thinking that I had found a good resource for starting my event planning business. What I received was a book that would be great for people who organize fund raising events with several committees of people working together. Not at all what I was looking for. In fact, most of the book is related to fundraising and the responsibilities of the various committee members. Overall, I was disappointed in the lack of general event planning information and ideas.

When I bought this book I thought it was about planning different kinds of events, fundraisers included. Turns out it's all about fundraisers. Which is fine, but I wish they'd said so ON THE COVER so I wouldn't wasted my money. The info is good for fundraisers, but pretty much irrelevant for any other kind of big event.

This book is a must read for everyone. It is a book that can help not only the person that is a professional in the field of event planning but for the person who has never given an event. The step by step instructions are very easy to follow. The author covered all the aspects of what you need to do to plan a successful event. I just can't praise the author enough for writing this book.

I was recently charged with planning an event for my office, and I had no idea where to start. Fortunately I found this book, and it has been a godsend. The author has thought of everything, down to the smallest detail. It is perfect for someone who has to put on an event, but doesn't know exactly where to begin.

Too specific to charity. Not generalized enough to perform in a "normal" situation. Was disappointed with the read.

I suppose if you had never planned any kind of event, this book might be helpful. Once you've planned even a kids' birthday party, this book becomes obsolete. The lists are ridiculous; the same information and "hints" are reworded throughout the book to appear "new". For example, there's a monthly list of tasks to accomplish in a year-long planning scenario, and then the same tasks are redistributed and reworded for the shorter scenario; it fills up the book, but one would have to be brain-dead not to be able to condense the year-long format into a shorter list. All in all, it was a waste of money and a waste of time.

As a professional meeting planner I found Gala to be an informative tool. This book would be helpful to anyone planning to organize an event. I felt Patti Coons' book is clear and covers the aspects of event planning. An easy to follow book full of advice that I recommend for the person looking to participate in planning an event.

I used this planner to organize an event for the Chamber of Commerce and it has EVERYTHING our group needed. All areas were covered, so NOTHING was overlooked; no last minute panics. Easy reading, checklist, sample letters, invitations, etc. Every Chamber and nonprofit organization should have a copy of this book.

I highly recomment Gala! not only for its content, but also because it gives a great framwork on how to put together an event. Personally, it helped me preparing an 100 people event and I truly can say it great because it showed me how to pull all the elements together.
What's different from other books, it's that Patti Coons explains how important are details while preparing your event.
I great book overall!!!!

This is a book that I fell in love with the moment I opened it. Every page has some useful information. This book is great for beginners. The information is broken down detail by detail so that the reader has a clear understanding of what needs to be done to plan the perfect event. This is a MUST BUY!!!!