faulker089

Cheers! Here’s to celebrating the events of 2013. With this being j2’s final post on our event management blog for the year, it’s fitting to pen my resolutions. 1. Network more Travelling the Australian Event Awards path reminded me just how healthy it is connecting with my industry peers. While we work side-by-side with great teams on events all year round, it just isn’t the same as having a casual chat and swapping ideas over a canapé or two. 2. Share what I’ve learned Having delivered events since the 80’s, I’ve amassed loads of event planning tips and information that, when shared with relevant audiences, could help enrich the careers of future event industry leaders. I plan to continue feeding our event planning blog, contribute editorial to a variety of publications and start talking! 3. Teach the world to make a French Martini Starting right now... 1 1/2 oz vodka (50ml) 1/2 oz Chambord® raspberry liqueur (20ml) 2 oz fresh pineapple juice (60ml) 1 twist lemon peel or ...

The urban term “shafted” prompts this moral high ground addition to our event manager blog. Here’s a post that aims to rally ethical businesses, champion professional respect, and stare down suppliers who toy with the idea of stealing customers from the very businesses that recruited them in the first place. For those not accustomed to uncouth jargon, “shafted” is the act of being ripped off, cheated, treated most unfairly by people, getting screwed out of a deal, or to get screwed over. (Thank you kindly Urban Dictionary ) Increasingly, friends in the creative and events management industries are sharing horror stories involving underhanded practices by the people they trusted – their employees and contracted suppliers. In many instances our friends have engaged professionals under contract as a means of boosting their project or event delivery resources. Only, the engaged supplier later forms a direct agreement with the client at cut-rate price, squeezing the original business out of...

Following Sunday’s turn of the calendar page, heralding in a new month, a new season (hello Summer in Australia!), and the official countdown to Christmas (22 sleeps!), j2 ideas & events’ Brisbane office has been buzzing this week with final Christmas preparations.  Here lies the inspiration for this week's event planning blog! A long-time enthusiast for all things festive, shiny, sparkly and well, Christmassy, I have been known to become a little giddy with excitement at the prospect of theming a Christmas event (or my own home at that). As part of a team that is always eager to break away from the status quo, l’m quite sure I spend 11 months of the year subconsciously on the look out for new ways to capture the merriment of the season, and personally I prefer to do so without breaking out the tinsel! I’ve fallen in love with the gorgeous crystal chandeliers and candelabras on offer from Australian company Crystalabra  and their unconventional approach to Christmas styli...