Have A Spooktacular Halloween from Banquetevent.com!

Wishing you all a safe and fun Halloween!

If you like carved pumpkins but don't want to deal with the hassle of cleaning out the insides and making a mess, click here to start carving your very own pumpkin.

Check out our work below. Okay, okay, we admit it's the prettiest pumpkin of all, but give us a break!

7-Election

Last week we blogged about the sales of political Halloween masks and how their sales can often predict the winner of the presidential election. Now comes another, so-called "predictor" from 7-11 convenience stores. Let us introduce you to the 2008 7-Election, where 7-11 coffee drinkers show their support for one candidate over another by drinking from their respective choice's coffee cup.

Now you may be like us and wonder if any of these "predictors" are really accurate. Well, according to 7-11, during the 2000 7-Election, the George W. Bush cups outsold the Al Gore cups by just 1%...and we all remember how that election turned out. 7-11 also states that during the 2004 7-Election, the results tracked identically with published national election results: 51% George W. Bush and 49% for John Kerry (within a few percentage points of actual poll results in many states!).

So where does the 7-Election stand today? According to the national results tallied thus far, Barack Obama leads John McCain 60% to 40%. In Washington State, Obama also leads McCain 68% to 38%.

Can this all be true? Time will tell. Click here to track the results yourself.

vs.

Advertising For Your Holiday Event

The holidays are just around the corner, and chances are, you are busy as bee planning your company holiday event. How will you market it to your fellow employees? We highly suggest using online meeting registration and marketing to spread the word...here's why...

Company Meeting and Event Websites
The Internet has quickly become one of the most efficient and cost-effective meeting marketing and communication tools. A meeting website, e-mail marketing campaign and online registration will boost attendance for almost any event, meeting or conference. Consideration for a unique event website might be applied as an incorporated part of your company or groups permanent website, or a standalone site or both! Effective meeting/event web site components you should consider including on the site could be:

• On-Demand Attendance Reports
• Email Invitation and Attendance Campaign
• 24/7 Meeting/Event Registration
• Venue Information
• Accommodation Details
• Program & Agenda
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Web Casting (video options)
• Content Archiving
• Post-Event Follow-Up

Online Event Program Management
Event planning online through use of on-line form submissions, emails and updates quickly and easily creates a unified affect that when done well, will narrow the physical or perceptive distance that might exist within your team(s).

• You can track the progress of program development more easily.
• Your team will communicate more effectively with each other and with the meeting presenters.
• Much of the information in the program development system can be automatically used in emails and on web pages.
  

Online Meeting Registration
Online meeting registration can increase registrations while decreasing registration costs! In fact, the simplicity and convenience of online registration is a critical contributor to assuring high attendance for many events. When considering companies to work with make sure they can offer you a visible proven track record for many unique types of events they have setup on-line registration within your company’s needs and details.

• Do not overlook a company who is not a “known” factor.
• Do your research. It will pay heavy rewards in the end.

Meeting Webcasting
Web Casting and archived audio, video and presentation content enables expanded distribution of meeting content. It makes a very efficient tool to connect with those who may not be able to attend your meeting or event.

HOT Tip! You've all heard about eVite, but have you checked out PINGG? PINGG is an online event invitation and management service. And it's free!

I WILL VOTE 2008

Hey all you voters? Want to spread the word that you will be voting come this November? Send in your "I Will Vote" photo to the Secretary of State website. Check out some of the great photos we've found of local voters pledging to vote.

Mock Election 2008

If you have children in grades K-12 and want to teach them about the importance of the upcoming election, encourage them to vote in the Washington State Mock Election. Voting starts at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, October 27 and the polls close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 31. Results are posted after 5:00 p.m.

When voting begins, students participating in the Mock Election must "register to vote" by submitting their name and school. They will immediately receive a unique voter ID number, a printable voter registration card, and their ballot. Ballots are cast online. Election results will be available after 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 31.

Students will vote on all the same issues facing adults and will also vote to elect the next President and Vice President of the United States as well as local Governor.

Click here to learn more about the Mock Election.

A Computer Like You've Never Felt Before

HP is introducing a whole new option for PC lovers. And even we Mac users have to admit, it's pretty darn cool. Meet the HP Touchsmart IQ804 and IQ816 All-in-One Desktop PC that works similarly to your iPhone or iPod touch, only it also has all the conveniences of features of a regular desktop computer.

What The Retailers Are Saying:
Redesigned with a next-generation, touch-enabled 25.5-inch high-definition LCD screen, the HP TouchSmart IQ804 all-in-one desktop PC is designed to fit wherever life happens: in the kitchen, family room, or living room. With one touch you can check the weather, download your e-mail, or watch your favorite TV show. It's also designed to maximize energy, with a power-saving Intel Core 2 Duo processor and advanced power management technology, as well as material efficiency--right down to the packaging. It has a sleek piano black design with elegant espresso side-panel highlights, and the HP Ambient Light lets you set a mood--or see your keyboard in the dark.

The touch-enabled 25.5-inch widescreen BrightView LCD offers height/tilt adjustment for optimal viewing. It offers a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Video is powered by the Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS HD graphics/video card, which provides 256 MB of dedicated video RAM and offers up to 2047 MB of total available graphics memory as allocated by Windows Vista. Enabled by PureVideo HD, movies come to life with outstanding picture clarity, ultra-smooth video and vivid color. The lifelike images have up to six times the detail of standard DVD movies. Delivering state-of-the-art graphics performance, GeForce 9300M GS graphics card is sure to give you the power and performance you crave to play the hottest DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 titles. Its 16x full-screen antialiasing technology delivers superior quality along with astounding performance and since it's optimized for Windows Vista. The integrated audio card is configurable to 6-speaker surround sound, and it can provide two-channel audio via its integrated speakers.

Watch the ad below:





The Touchsmart is not available yet, but you can pre-order yours at Amazon.com.

Blonds Have All The Fun

There is just no denying it. The staff at banquetevent.com loves animals. And in honor of Halloween, which is just around the corner, we wanted to share some photos with you of an adorable dachshund named Honey. We dare you not to fall in love.

View more pictures of Honey and her furry friends, check out Honey's flickr site.











Are you planning on dressing up your pooch for Halloween? Send us your pictures and we'll post them on our blog! Email us.

Get Inspired! An Adult Halloween Party

Whoever said Halloween was for kids was clearly mistaken. We'd like to introduce our new "Get Inspired!" series of party planning inspiration boards to help you get your creative juices flowing for your own happening events. After all, we are entering the busiest season of all, jam-packed with one holiday after another. So let's get started with our first board of the season!

Theme: A Grown-Up Halloween
Colors: Black and Orange

Click image below to enlarge.

Top Row: Dishware from Pottery Barn; Monogram pumpkins from Martha Stewart; Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from Rachel Ray; Table setting from BBJ Linen
Second Row: Halloween Jenga from Amazon.com; AFI's top horror film Psycho; Halloween Chandelier from Enchanted Decor; Stars from Enchanted Decor
Third Row: Chandelier details from Ballard Designs; Trick or Treat lighted bags from Ballard Designs; Cheddar Fondue from Food Network; Spooky cocktails from Food Network
Bottom Row: Chocolate spider dessert from Food Network; Bat glitter candles from Plum Party; Mrs. Incredible costume from Display & Costume; Napkins from Plum Party

Let's get down to business...

The Colors: Go classic orange and black. Since orange is not a color most people use often, select accent pieces like napkins, candlesticks and small decorations that are orange in color. Then choose black items that are more recyclable like your chairs, table linens and candlesticks to complete the look.

The Decor: Halloween is a pretty simple holiday to find decorations for. But if you have the time and energy, try simple crafts for your decorations like pumpkin carving, glittered votive candle holders and edible spooky snacks. Homemade decorations are far more interesting and impressive.

The Entertainment: What would a Halloween party be without a scary film? We checked AFI's top 50 horror films and the film Psycho topped the list. Even if you aren't all going to sit down and watch it intently, stick it in your dvd player and let it run. Just the screams and scary music will add to the overall abiance.

The Food: Plan a meal that allows people to gather around the table, talk and mingle. A formal sitdown dinner is just not appropriate for a Halloween party. Consider a fondue party with cheddar cheese dip. It's a fun and tasty activity, plus it matches your color scheme!

The Fun: Since it is a Halloween Party after all, costumes are a must! Give an award for the best costume and the most creative costume. It will turn your event into a competition, encouraging your guests to step it up a notch. And since you are the awesome party planner that you are, we suggest going as Mr. or Mrs. Incredible!

Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who Is The Scariest Of Them All?

It has often been said that people's choice of political Halloween costumes can often predict the winner and loser of the presidential race. You may predict that the most purchased political mask of the year would equal the candidate the voters think is the "scariest" option. After all, this is Halloween and the time for spooks and tricks. But, surprisingly, that is not the case. According to online costume retailers, the quantity of political masks purchased predicts the winner, not loser of the presidential race. In fact, they say that they have been able to predict the winner of the last seven elections, simply by mask sales!

So who will win this year? According to a recent article featured on AOL.com, so far, Barack Obama masks are outselling John McCain masks in Spirit Halloween and iParty stores and online at Amazon and BuyCostumes.com.

Will mask sales predict the winner? We'll just have to wait and see.

VS.

Left: Barack Obama Mask Available at Costume Alibi, $24.99
Right: John McCain Mask Available at Political Masks, $16.99

VS.

Left: Sarah Palin Mask, Available at Costume Kingdom, $29.95
Right: Joe Biden Paper Mask, Available at Buy Costumes, $.99

Upcoming Fall Events

Waterways Cruises and Events Open House
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
4-7 p.m.
Where: The Lakeside Event Center
2501 N Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98103

RSVP by clicking here.


Emerald City Applause Awards
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
at the Columbia Tower Club
701 5th. Ave, 75th. Floor
Seattle, WA 98104

Celebrating the Gems of our Industry

The entries are entered, the judges have judged, and the excitement is building in anticipation of the 4th Annual Emerald City Applause Awards!

Join your colleagues and friends in honoring the best of the best in Washington’s event industry! Your presence is requested to come and savor the excellent work done by some of the top companies in our industry.


NACE AUCTION
October 21st Annual Auction
RSVP by October 16th
5:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
RSVP by Thursday, October 16th at www.TacomaNACE.net
Sharon McGavick Student & Conference Center
Clover Park Technical College
4500 Steilacoom Blvd. SW Building 23
Lakewood, WA 98499

The Tacoma/South Puget Sound Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives invites you to our annual auction Cooking up Success! benefiting Clover Park Technical College's Culinary Arts and Floral programs & the NACE education program.

Register Here >>


Murder Mystery aboard the historic Steamship Virginia V
November 1, 2008
7-10 p.m.
Departs from Seattle's Lake Union Park
860 Terry Avenue North
Seattle, WA. 98109
For a cruise around Lake Union and Lake Washington

Join Events on the Edge and the historic Steamship Virginia V for a special Halloween theme murder mystery celebration and adventure aboard the High Seas, with a 3 hour Dinner Cruise around Lake Union and Lake Washington. Halloween costumes are welcome but not required!
Time: Boarding/cocktails 6pm. Mystery & Dinner Cruise 7-10pm
Cost: $85.00 per person plus $2.00 fuel surcharge for Buffet Dinner, Mystery & Cruise (does not incl tax or gratuity)
Tickets: Available online at www.virginiav.org or call 206.624.9119
Parking: Lot & street parking is available at Lake Union Park.


Umbrella Tour
(Familiarization Tour)
Olympia Lacey Tumwater Visitor & Convention Bureau
November 15-17th, 2008

To assist you in planning for 2009, Olympia Lacey Tumwater Visitor & Convention Bureau invite you to participate in the Umbrella Tour. Specifically designed for meeting and event planners, this two-day event is sure to get you acquainted with Thurston County as a meeting and event destination.

RSVP TO:
Heather Antanaitis, Membership & Marketing Development
Olympia Lacey Tumwater Visitior & Convention Bureau
Toll Free: 877.704.7544 Email: marketing@visitolympia.com

Whether you have never been to the area or it is been a while since your last visit, this Familiarization Tour is sure to give you a fresh perspective on what the region has to offer. You will experience our finest attractions, explore restaurants and enjoy two complimentary room nights at the Phoenix Inn & Suites/Red Lion Olympia.

Please join us for the Umbrella Tour November 15-17th. Space is limited, so we ask that you RSVP by November 5th.

We Think You'll Love...

We think you'll love this local website that helps you connect with local teachers so you can learn just about anything. Meet teachstreet.com where you can search for teachers of a certain craft in the Seattle and Portland area. So if you want to learn to sail, cook, sew, dance, play the piano or just about any other craft you can think of, Teach Street helps you find the skilled professionals in the area that can turn you into a pro yourself.

Once you have found a teacher you can then go onto teachstreet.com and write a review that will help others find a teacher that is right for them. We also like how the site recognizes what craft you want to learn and offers books about the similar trade that are available for you at Amazon.com.

Check out Teach Street and let us know what you think.

I Ate An Obama On Sunday And A McCain On Tuesday

In less than a month, our country will elect a new President of the United States. In the spirit of the season, candy makers are taking advantage of this sweet opportunity to offer politically inspired edible goodness. Check out what we've found below.

This election year, Byrd Cookie Company wants everyone to Vote With Taste! Get your campaign headquarters ready with our selection of Democrat or Republican tins filled with Key Lime Coolers (left). Show your patriotic spirit with this red, white and blue tin collection! They are sure to be a hit with your guests at any election event this year!

Made with the traditional Japanese art of kumi ame (rolled candy), Kai's Candy Campaign ‘08 candies (below) are here to add some fun to the race for the Presidency. Each candy is individually wrapped, and the lollipops come on super long 8" sticks. The flavors are similar to American hard candies, but with a more mild flavor. But look out for the small Obama candies - they have a zesty mint flavor!


If candy is not quite your thing, you may be more interested in a mocha cafe drink with special packaging to promote Senator McCain and Senator Obama from McStevens.

Lastly, L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates have developed a variety of sweet treats representing both candidates. Enjoy an assortment package of candies that include awaiian Pineapple, Kenyan Coffee, Kansas Corn Crunch and Tennessee Sour Mash in the Obama package, and Arizona Citrus, Hot Pepper Tequila, Peanut Butter, and Kentucky Rye in the McCain assortment.

Phone Home

We recently heard about a great organization that is making a difference in the lives of our military troops.

Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to turn old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas in 2008. To do so, Cell Phones for Soldiers expects to collect 15,000 cell phones each month through a network of more than 3,000 collection sites across the country.

The phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each donated phone – enough to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad.

Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 400,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.

Through increased fundraising efforts, the Bergquist family hopes to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund new programs, such as providing video phones with prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families on a regular basis.

If you are like many of us and have an old cell phone just sitting in a drawer, consider donating it to this great cause. Click here for details on how to donate your phone.

Marketing In Uncertain Times

There is now doubt the economy is in a state of flux. So how is this unstable time affecting your business? According to an ongoing poll at Meetings & Conventions Magazine, a surprising 62% of meeting & event planners are going ahead with their usual event planning routines. Now, more than ever it is vital for businesses and services to understand how to market to these event planners. An old saying goes, "Know the difference between what is extra and what is necessity" and without a doubt, marketing and advertising is a NECESSITY.

When money and budgets are tight; however, it is not uncommon for businesses to cut their advertising budget, which in the end, will cause more harm than good. Some of the easiest variable expenses to cut out are advertising costs, an act that takes a bad situation and makes it worse. When your business drops and you take action to stop the flow even more, you are doomed. Be smarter with your marketing and adopt a strategy that gives you the most bang for your buck.

WHY B&E MAKES SENSE

B&E publishes two full color resource guides for the Puget Sound area. Unlike placing an ad in a magazine or a newspaper which a reader may only look at once, the Wedding & Event Resource Guides remain on the desks and in the hands of party and event planners all year round. When its time to plan an event, our readers faithfully and continually use the Wedding & Event Resource Guides to begin their search for qualified wedding & event services. And with our free online resource, banquetevent.com, all (and we do mean all, not just a portion) of the information that you'll find in the Guides, is also just a mouse click away. So think of it this way, advertising in a B&E Resource Guides is equivalent to paying for a full year of ads in a magazine, but at the rate of one month!

To help you compare B&E with other event planning marketing outlets, check out our comparison chart below. Let's say you have a budget of $4000. How much advertising can you get for your budget?

















Rates from 2008 media kits.

B&E can work with any budget

We've Made The List!

Yesterday, this blog was featured in an article by Meetings And Conventions magazine and recognized as one of the top blogs for meeting & event planners. The exact verbiage states: "There's an excess of advice, trend spotting and pontification by and for planners on the web, but the insightful blogs described below consistently are worth reading."

Special thanks to all of our readers. We look forward to bringing you more great business and event planning tips and tricks!

Click here to read the full article and see who else made the list!

Open House This Weekend: Catering Concepts at Acalia

The "Must See" event is this Saturday October 4th. Mark your calendars and be sure to attend.

Open House Event at Acalia
301 Queen Anne Avenue N
Seattle, Washington 98109
October 4th, 2008
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Come experience some of the many fun ways Foodz Catering is serving up Seattle!

Showcasing:
Suspended Buffet
Wine and Cheese Table
BBQ Satay Bar
Interactive Chef Bar
The Circular Buffet
RSVP is most appreciated

RSVP to: Shelby@foodzcatering.com or call (206) 297- 9634

Also coming up:

Foodz Catering is proud to be sponsoring FareStart as a part of their Guest Chefs program on October 9th. This is a chance for us to give back to the community and help make the lives of some homeless a little better. Join us for a 3 course dinner for only $ 24.95. Call (206) 267 - 6210 or try reservations@farestart.org. Chef Shelby, Chef Anne and Chef Sarah will spend the day working with the people in the program to create and serve your meal. All proceeds go back to FareStart to help support this wonderful effort.

Even More Newbies at banquetevent.com

The list continues...check out who's new at banquetevent.com!

Olympia Lacey Tumwater Visitor & Convention Bureau

Rich beauty, sumptuous restaurants, monumental views, rich history and culture, a variety of accommodations, stunning outdoor recreation… Washington’s Capital Cities invite you to discover their abundance.





Espresso Elegance

Since 1989, Espresso Elegance has provided Seattle and Portland with the finest espresso catering. Add a touch of class to any occasion by reserving today!







Event Source

We strive to create professional, fun, energy filled, unforgettable events by infusing each celebration with the perfect mixture of the talent, creativity, expertise, interaction, and FUNERGY!




Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau

Where art and nature meet. Explore the possibilities of a place where urban sophistication meets outdoor adventure, where cutting edge art meets spectacular mountains and open waters.








Maggiano's Little Italy

Whether it's a business meeting, wedding or any other type of social gathering, your event demands the right ingredients like the right environment, a touch of something special and, of course, spectacular food.