This is the Real Launch...

Welcome! I'm so glad you've found me.

I am so excited to be devoting my time, energy and passion to planning your special occasions, meetings, parties, conferences... you name it!

Please feel free to drop me a line and let me know if there are any specific topics you would like to see covered on this blog. I'm happy to answer questions, offer tips, etc.

Thanks for stopping by and remember: Life is meant to be celebrated!

- Renatta

Scavenger Hunt Delight

In the past two months I've had the honor of coordinating two very different company scavenger hunts. These were my first encounters with company events and they were so much fun!

Hunt #1
Hunt Type: City Scramble (think Amazing Race)
Location: Around the streets of Melbourne, Australia
Participants: 25
Duration: 4 hours

The manager of a distribution center wanted to build camaraderie among the staff and help them to function more like a team. The result was a wild race where teams had to solve riddles, decode puzzles and successfully complete challenges while navigating through the city on the public Tram. Since I would not be travelling to Melbourne for the event, I created a course (with the help of Google Maps), Team Kits as well as Facilitator Kits complete with full script and answer keys to guide the on-site facilitators.

Hunt #2
Hunt Type: Puzzle Hunt
Location: Inside local mall near Seattle, WA
Participants: 5
Duration: 45 minutes

The goal of this event was to provide a unique company Christmas party for a small staff. This hunt was every man for himself where they were lead by puzzles to different locations in the mall. I had a great time facilitating the event and bringing the party atmosphere to the small group.

My eyes have been opened to a new category of events!

Just say NO to multitasking

I remember when the ability to multitask was a thing to boast about. You bring it up during job interviews, comparisons would be made between how well two co-workers could multitask.

But more and more today we're learning that multitasking is not the thing that we want to be good at. In fact, being "good" at multitasking, it seems, makes you bad at the actual tasks you're trying to complete.

Here's an intereststing/alarming/fun infographic on the truth about multitasking.

Please Include Attribution to OnlineCollege.org With This Graphic

Venue Review: Century Ballroom

So last weekend I celebrated my 30th birthday. It was an event I began planning about 1-year in advance - a Masquerade Ball. For the first time, I rented out a venue and everything (this was the real deal).

Here is my review of the space in question: Century Ballroom, West Hall in Seattle, WA (Capitol Hill area).

Pre-Event
I actually searched for some time before deciding on this venue. But the size, feel and price of the West Hall was pretty much a perfect fit. The entire process was as great as I could have asked for. From the very beginning, Justin, my venue contact, was on the ball and answered my many questions whenever they came up. The last month before the event, he called me three times just to check in on certain details, make sure things were coming along and answer my new questions which (inevitably) came up.

I stopped in the day before the event to work out some last minute set-up details and Justin walked me around and introduced me to the bar manager (since they would be setting up a private bar for my event). The bar manager then set me down to pick out which wines & beers I wanted available - went through the whole menu with me. This was totally unexpected and was the extra "wow" for me.

During Event

I brought in my own decorations and set up the space to match my masquerade ball theme (pics to come). The staff set up the tables, chairs and linens for me and offered to help with my decorations. I had a few videos and a slideshows on a dvd which they set up for me.

The bar staff was amazing! Incredibly friendly and just willing to do whatever needed to help make the night fun. They even wore masks the entire night to be a part of the theme! 

All-in-all, I am so glad I chose the West Hall at Century Ballroom. The space itself was everything I wanted and completely captured the feel I was going for. The staff was great to work with; they were easy to communicate with, helpful and made me feel like they actually wanted to work with me (not a given, these days).

Bottom line:
I loved the venue, enjoyed the staff and would be happy to do another event there in the future. I'd give it an enthusiastic 4.5 stars!

Caution
The only warning I must note is that, being in Capitol Hill, it goes without saying that parking can be an issue. There are a number of paid lots nearby, but if your guests are looking for free parking, they may be looking (and walking) for a while.

Bigger budgets aren't always the answer

This story on the radio this morning totally caught my attention:

GSA Chief Resigns Over Extravagant Spending

And while I was listening to the brief segment, and again when reading this news article, I was dumbfounded by what seemed to be an utter lack of common sense on the part of the convention organizers. Why in the world would an agency make $50 per plate breakfasts and a clown entertainer a part of the convention. 

But then a thought occurred to me. How many event planners (or event just casual party throwers) look at a budget in front of them and imagine "Oh, what I would do with an unlimited budget"? Generally speaking, we often have grander ideas than our pocketbooks can carry and wish that we could to more... bigger... better. If only that pesky budget wasn't holding us back. 

Big time event planners and event planning agencies wouldn't event bat an eyelash at the $820K that this former GSA Chief helped spend. But to that planning team I can imagine that $75,000/day budget was a dream come true. It was enough to put a sparkle in their eyes and let their imaginations run wild, a chance to go all out and provide something "over-the-top" - an opportunity which any planner would love to have.

So, while I'm not downplaying the blatant poor judgement that was used on this 2010 event, I do wonder how easily I - for instance - could lose my head if faced with abundant resources. How far would I go if the Big Bad Budget was not around...?

Tips for planning theme parties

Theme parties can be a blast to plan or attend. But simply slapping a theme on your party doesn't guarantee its success. I've been to some terrific theme events as well as some that left much to be desired.

Last weekend I attended a theme birthday party done right. Despite my absolute unfamiliarity with the theme on top of the mandatory costume requirement, I had a great time (along with everyone else there, as far as I could tell).

So how do you plan a great theme party? Here are a few tips I came away with:

#1 - Do it big
The theme of the event needs to be obvious from the first moment your guests encounter it. That means the invitation. Express your theme either in words or through the look and feel of your invitation (or both). If you want guests to wear costumes, say so.

This leads to the moments guests step into the event. Make your event's theme evident through your decor. Decorate walls and furniture (fabrics are a great way to do this) and use props if you can. The goal is to transform your venue into the setting where your theme takes place - be it real, fictional or historical.

#2 - Remember the details
Now that you've transported your guests to your desired location, the way to keep them there is through the details. What kind of food makes sense to serve? What about music that ties in? Maybe you have standard party activities, but give them names that go along with the theme. Once you introduce them as such your guests will follow suit.

#3 - Take it easy
Here's where the balance comes in. Have fun and let your guests have fun. Don't get uptight if a guest shows up out of costume or if theme lingo isn't catching on quite like you'd hoped. You can't force it down their throats. Even if you could, you'd no longer be having fun (which means your guests probably aren't either).


If you've given an appropriate amount of attention to creating the big picture of your theme and adding some creative details it should be easy for your guests to get into the spirit and have a good time.

Here are some pics from a Tiki themed beach party I threw a few years ago.

I'd love to see pictures from a theme party you've hosted or attended.

<3
-R

You know when...

Just for fun. :)

Looking for Romance

One of my favorite event planners, Preston Bailey, made a recent post about Romancing Your Clients in his blog, and I do have to say... the man knows how to romance his clients!


Which led me to an intriguing thought: the act of Romancing involves connecting with another person on an emotional level; providing something that instills a feeling of emotional fulfillment. As an event planner & coordinator, I want each client to be not only satisfied with the result of his/her event, but to come away emotionally fulfilled because of the great time everyone had, the peace of mind through it all and the thrill of success. I want to make you look good!



Speaking of looking good, my husband and I decided to make dinner together for Valentine's day and it turned out absolutely amazing!

Today's mission: To research, understand and narrow down Business Models.

Taking it back to the basics.

It's time to get personal

Some time has passed since I began RC Creations - Events & Party Planning in 2009. I had a wonderful and exciting first year. Learned some things. Made some contacts. Then I let things fizzle... Then I got married! And while my goal was always to build the company back up, it was clear I needed to define my mission as a business, in order to provide the best possible service to clients. In the meantime, the biggest question became "What do I call myself now that I'm no longer RC?" Well, after much thought, the answer ended up being incredibly simple. I will operation as myself, Renatta. (It's what everyone else calls me, right?)

What makes any event planner a great event planner is the special uniqueness or trademark she brings to each event. The signature character that draws clients to her. The uniqueness that I bring to the table is Renatta - the core of who I am. Every event I help create is an opportunity to build a relationship and bring someone's dream to life. And I love that. It's why I choose to plan events.

So, as I continue the transformation, or rather the rebirth, of RC Creations I plan to do it on a more personal level. My goal is for this process to allow me to get to you know and for you to get know Renatta.

I can't wait!