November 01, 2001
Meetings & Conventions: - House Party - November
2001

November 2001

House Party
How to jazz up an on-site meeting or event
By Lisa Grimaldi
The corporate cafeteria is suddenly looking
like the perfect venue for meetings and special events. No one has
to travel, there's no rental fee, and the place is already stocked
with tables, chairs and food-service supplies. It might have been
unthinkable a year ago, but budget cuts and fear of travel have
more firms keeping their gatherings closer to home and, in many
cases, right at home base. A survey by the National Business Travel
Association in the third week of September found that 58 percent of
corporations planned to reduce travel. For many, this meant
deepening the cuts already made as a result of the economic
downturn.
While meeting on-site has its obvious advantages, the decision
comes with distinct challenges, too, such as how to transform a
work space into something more businesslike (for meetings) or more
festive (for parties and special events). And, while some attendees
might be happy they're not traveling, others are sure to be
disappointed. Can a meeting at the office be creative, even
exciting?
Yes, say experts. Following are some clever ideas, along with
tried-and-true examples, for pulling off an impressive on-site
meeting or event.
Indoor spaces
For a more formal gathering, or when there is serious business to
be done, avoid the area where casual staff meetings are held,
suggests Jaclyn Bernstein, president of Empire Force Events, a New
York City-based DMC and special events firm. "When people are
removed from the everyday environment, it's easier to think," she
says.Points to keep in mind:
Explore all options. Move the meeting to a
different floor, or rent out space elsewhere in the building, if it
is not solely occupied by your firm. Try to be far from attendees'
desks; the lobby might be a good option. "You don't want people
looking for the messenger or listening for their phones, like they
do during casual in-office meetings," says Bernstein.Eat well. Have the food and beverage provided
by a great caterer. This is not the time to have pizzas brought in,
Bernstein says.Make a grand entrance. Use the element of
surprise to add pizzazz to an evening event that will be held
on-site.
Tony Conway, CMP, president and partner of Atlanta-based
Legendary Events, suggests having attendees gather in the lobby of
the building, loading them into limos or other elegant
transportation, driving them around the block and dropping them off
at a different entrance to the building, or even at a different
space on the grounds, such as a warehouse. He recently did this for
a firm that had its awards dinner after an on-site sales meeting.
"When they got out of the cars, we had ‘paparazzi' waiting to take
their photos," says Conway.
Refurnish the place. If everyday office
furnishings are a bit shabby for a high-level meeting, spruce up
the ambience with leather executive chairs, fine wood tables and
elegant couches from a rental firm such as West Palm Beach,
Fla.-based Special Event Furnishings, a division of Aaron Office
Furniture. The company, which delivers its products anywhere in the
country, also has the fixings to create a hospitality lounge: tall
stools, high-top café tables and plush couches, armchairs and
coffee tables.Check underfoot. Even workaday floors can get
a new look for a high-end board meeting or on-site special event.
Rich Carbotti, president and design director of Newport, R.I.-based
special event firm Perfect Surroundings Inc., has rented beautiful
Oriental carpets (available from most prop rental firms) to jazz up
bare or boring floors for the functions of several companies.Go for mood lighting. Inexpensive gels can
soften harsh office lighting and change the mood of the room for
after-hours functions.Create a dine-around. Anything that can be
pulled off in a hotel ballroom can be done at the office, space
permitting. Jaclyn Bernstein suggests inviting local restaurants
and delis to participate in a "taste of the city." Each vendor sets
up its own food station in a lobby, conference room or even the
on-site cafeteria; attendees can graze their way through a meal
that's a lot more memorable than a hurried sandwich or basic
buffet.Bring the outdoors in. For a recent meeting,
Bernstein transformed the staid urban offices of a New York
City-based technology firm into an airy garden. She filled the
space with potted grass, planters of gerbera daisies, outdoor
lounge furniture and a fountain. These can be rented through floral
decor firms. To add a touch of nature, rent parrots (in their
cages) from specialty vendors such as Parrots of the World in
Rockville Center, N.Y., or even butterflies, available from
Hellertown, Pa.-based Monarchs Alive.Make the switch. When the same on-site meeting
room has to do double duty as the venue for an evening function,
turn the room into a new environment. For just such an agenda,
Legendary Events' Tony Conway transformed a daytime boardroom into
a submarine by piping and draping the room and fitting the windows
with video monitors showing underwater scenes.Work with the location. While most firms'
offices weren't designed with special events in mind, some can
provide ready-made theme party settings. For a bank that held a
meeting and evening function on-site, Conway used the actual public
area of the bank as the backdrop for a 1930s bank robbery theme
party.Pick a color. Steve Kemble, president of Steve
Kemble Design in Dallas, took his inspiration from an office's
color scheme. "One area of the office was red," he says, "so we did
red desserts, red drape buffet tables, red candles...and the band
was all dressed in red."Take it away. Greg Jenkins, a partner in Bravo
Productions, a Long Beach, Calif., production company, had the
challenge of staging a skin-care firm's holiday party at its
headquarters. To find a space that would work for the '70s-themed
event, Jenkins did a site inspection to look into the
possibilities, finally deciding on an adjacent warehouse. "It was
conducive for backdrops and props," he says, "plus there was space
to set up a dance floor and cozy lounge areas with lava lamps and
macramé hangings."Take breaks. In-house coffee breaks can be as
creative and fun as those at a resort or conference center. Patrick
Sullivan, president of PRA, New York, a New York City-based DMC,
recommends a high school-themed break, with a hall or lobby set up
like a locker room, complete with benches and a few "cheerleaders"
to pep up the attendees. Breaks can be labeled as "phys ed" time,
where the group does a little stretching.Take it outside
Meetings at hotels often take advantage of the grounds as well as
the indoor spaces for sessions or functions; on-site events can do
the same.
Do some ground work. For an on-site
educational conference at a Rhode Island college, Rich Carbotti of
Perfect Surroundings Inc. turned a plain grass quad into a European
garden, with fountains, flowers, potted plants, white garden chairs
and tables. Tents were set up in the event of rain.Make use of tar beach. For a corporate
client's early afternoon event, Carbotti transformed the company's
parking lot into a Caribbean beach. "We filled the lot with sand,
set up palm trees, served island-style foods, and for
entertainment, we hired a steel band," he says.Stage a carnival. Alexandria, Va.-based
Catalyst Events turned consulting firm Accenture's parking lot at
its Reston, Va., offices into a carnival fairground for an employee
event for 600. The party featured rides, carnival food, beer and
wine, a juggler, game booths and among the most popular attractions
dunk tanks where employees were encouraged to sink top brass.
Adding to the excitement was a prize raffle.Hit the ice. A truly novel idea that's sure to
impress the crowd: Turn the office parking lot into a temporary
skating rink. Palos Heights, Ill.-based Rent-A-Rink installs
ice-skating rinks just about anywhere there's space, and in just
about any climate (up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit).
HOUSE VALUES

Although
corporate spaces might not be purpose-built for meetings and
special events, there are some not-so-obvious advantages to staying
at home base.
High on the list are the services of building personnel, who
know the place better than anyone you might hire for the job and
generally work at no charge beyond their typical paychecks. Among
resources to consider:
• In-house electricians and engineers
• Security
• Cleaning staff
• Trucks (for delivery of food and beverage,
equipment, props)
• Auditoriums (which can be used for performances
for special events)
• Food service (even if the corporate cafeteria is
not used for F&B, this department might be able to supply
utensils, plates, etc.)
• L.G.
THINK ABOUT IT
When organizing a
meeting on-site, keep the following in mind.
Does the facility have enough power to handle
special lighting and sound systems? If not, you will need
generators.
Do you need permission from the building
manager or developer to hold an after-hours or unusual event?
Unless the firm is the owner or sole occupant, you probably need an
official OK.
Are carpeting or floors light colored? If so,
think twice about serving red wine or tomato sauces.
L.G.
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