LOUD Events

LOUD’s National Pride

The Premier’s Australia Day Lunch this year turned out to be a little “more” than we’ve experienced in past years. Besides the Premier announcing the election, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre opened their new building the same morning. The events were joined and the lunch, which usually incorporates over 500 of Brisbane’s prominent leaders, grew to 900 in the last week.

The 2012 Australia Day Lunch celebrated our national pride and featured a keynote address by best-selling author and former Wallaby, Peter FitzSimons. LOUD assisted with specially designed screen surrounds, hessian overlays, raffia chair wraps and stunning kangaroo paw centrepieces. Our theming was only the preview to the BCEC’s Executive Chef, Martin Latter’s unbelievable Australian inspired menu.

LOUD’s in-house systems allowed for the sudden number increase and the event proved to be a fantastic result for all, despite the wet weather. The BCEC’s new space is simply beautiful with a floor designed specifically for managing with 300, 400 and 500 guests.

Singing Pink, Pink, Pink… Little Mater Miracles

LOUD events had the opportunity to deliver the theming for the Mater Little Miracles Ball on Saturday 18^th February 2012 usually held around Valentine’s Day each year.

Mater Little Miracles Ball is a charity event to raise funds for the Mater Foundation to help sick kids being cared at the Mater
Hospital.

The theme this year was ‘reveal the hero within’ and the colour scheme was differing tonal shades of pink.

As guests entered the room they were met by an aura of pink washes, the classic fishbowl centrepieces filled with vibrant shades of pink orchids, deep pink berries and small LED cube
lights to bring a glow through the flowers this was set on a mirror base. Offset with crisp white chaircovers LOUD placed one bright pink chaircover at each table to bring a bold splash of colour into the room. 

It was a stunning and vibrant night designed on a tight budget by LOUD’s stylish Zoe Wiffen. For more economic yet stylish theming ideas please call LOUD today on (07) 3200 8299.

I am an Event Manager…

I have unlimited resources at my disposal.

I always keep at least 10 meeting rooms under my desk.

I can make any of my rooms larger or smaller, depending on your program 
needs. I will naturally remove any supporting pillars from your meeting 
space and will install windows in every room as needed.

Unfortunately the ‘ocean view’ is not scheduled to arrive until Day Two of 
the program for which I sincerely apologise; however, I will move the 
convention centre two feet to the left to accommodate your request by the 
end of Day One, although I realize the event is only next week.

I can only throw myself on your mercy and grovel at your feet; I completely 
agree that it is inconceivable that we should have any other groups booked 
into the hotel during our event. And the additional breakout rooms you asked 
for this morning for tomorrows conference will be added to the hotel by the 
end of today.

Naturally it will be no problem to turn the plenary session for 
200 (classroom room style) into a hollow square for 300 with rear screen 
projection, simultaneous Japanese translation and satellite hook-up during 
the 15-minute coffee break.

Unfortunately, due to space constraints, and the fact that the final program 
bears no resemblance whatsoever to the initial program that we contracted 
the space under, I’ll have to suspend the lunch buffet from the ceiling 
above the plenary session, then suck the gravity out of the ballroom - not a 
problem.

I’ve located the boxes that the sponsors sent last month under their 
mother’s maiden name to the other hotel down the street, and again I 
apologise for not having found them sooner.

In answer to all your questions, it is of course, understood that I am 
telepathically aware of all your speakers needs and I’ll set up an overhead, 
LCD panel, dual slide projectors, two screens, laser pointer, podium 
microphones, two table top microphones, podium knock-out switch, timer and 
blue M&Ms in each room, which I’ve negotiated at no extra charge, just in 
case they are needed.

Additionally it goes without saying that an A/V technician, engineer, 
baby-sitter and I will be underneath your head table for the duration of 
your event, in case you need anything else.

It has been great working with you on this event and every other just like 
it and I can’t wait for the next one!!!

LOUD Delivers An Event To Tempt The Five Senses

LOUD events had the recent opportunity to design the smell (yes smell) and look and feel for an annual awards event for over 450 pharmacists.

The theme was ‘Lumiere’ and it was a stunning display of illumination, aerial acts and laser performances.

Each table was underlit lit to appear as clouds floating across the room and offset with white shatter back chaircovers that sparkled and glowed at every angle. Crisp white cherry blossom LED centrepieces illuminated the table tops and reflected stunningly on the round mirror bases.

As guests entered the room they were greeted by stunning LED chandelier inspired stilt walkers – the costumes were specially made for this event, aerial silk performers and gorgeous aerial hoop performers with stunning illuminated costumes.

The room was washed and blue and purple tones, the screens were a wash of calming colours and the music was angelic and refreshing. On this event we were lucky enough to trial a new sensory product  “event scent” allowing us to scent the room throughout the evening allowing us to tap into every sense to create a truly special and memorable event experience.

For an obligation free quote on your next gala dinner look and feel please call our stylist, Zoe Wiffen today on (07) 3200 8299.

Integrate Social Media at Events to Create a Cyber Buzz

Looking forward to an upcoming event? Whether it’s a corporate meeting, a product launch, an exhibition or a political function, the use of social media technology is vital for promoting your event to a larger pool of audience.

The internet provides endless opportunities that allow you to connect and interact with your thousands and even millions of followers. It humanises your organisation and defines the modern approach of interaction and communication.

In this case, social media can help you in many different aspects of marketing. Websites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook can help you create a buzz to get attendees more psyched about the event and hence promotion takes place.

When you’re using Twitter for instance, the use of hash tags with the tweet can make the event more visible to your target market. Likewise, video teasers are a great way to build awareness for the upcoming event. It gives potential attendees a sneak peek of what they could see at the event.

Social media at events is also a great networking opportunity that allows you and the potential attendees to create relationships as both parties look forward to meeting each other. Sharing the content of your event online via live streaming or feeds is an excellent way to get your message to a large number of followers. It’s also an opportunity to bring viewers to your site and hence allowing them to check out the other contents of your web pages. With a couple of clicks, visitors to your website can also share those contents into their respective networks. 

If you’re utilising social media at events, make sure that you are ready to receive some unpleasant feedback from certain spectators. Any offensive content can spread like a wild fire in the cyberspace so make sure to manage the event properly.   

LOUD Events can help you with providing social media for your next big event – just ask us how - call 07 3200 8299 and speak to one of our friendly event managers today.

What you need to know to organise an awards ceremony

There are many things that go into organising an awards ceremony.  Everything has to work perfectly in order to make a lasting impression and create a very memorable event.  It all depends on the collaboration between the client, the event organizer and the suppliers.  The most important thing is being able to choose an experienced events company capable of handling the task.  You’ll find that unequivocally, LOUD Events is the one for the job.

Everything starts with a sit-down talk and nice cuppa.  Here, we’ll figure out what you want to happen for the awards ceremony. You may already have something in mind and you just want someone to execute the plan or you may have no idea how to go about it and want someone to plan it for you. 

Of course we’ll need to find out about budget, timeframes, preferred venues (if any), target number of attendees and schedule for the actual event.  Everything needs to be in black and white and everything should be clear on both sides so that expectations are easily manageable. 

Once the details are ironed out, it’s all a matter of preparation.  Suppliers need to be contacted, negotiated with and paid for.  Suppliers include catering (for the taste bud tantalizing food), florists (should this be your choice of centre piece), videographers and photographers, printers for invitations, trophy suppliers for your actual award pieces and the venues (which may also offer equipment for sound and lighting).  If you want to invite speakers to grace the occasion or hosts to MC your program, you may also arrange for them.  LOUD Events are experts at creating an outstanding event for you.  All you need now is to get some entries into those awards! That’s a whole other blog right there!

We’d like to thank the Brisbane Marketing and Invest Brisbane crew! LOUD Events is thrilled to have won the contract to manage the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards for the next two years. Woot!

Invitation face off: Online vs Paper

Paper Invitation

Ever since the advent of the Internet, people have been utilising it in favor of snail mail to send out letters, greeting cards and even invitations for special occasions.  The question that is on everyone’s minds is, “What’s the difference – do people really care if they receive an online invitation versus a paper one?”

Online invitation

For many people, an online invite is the perfect example of practicality.  You spend less because sending it via the Internet is free or very low charge.  You only have to design it and attach it via an email.  Granted you can spend money on the design but there are some great free tools on the Internet as well.

Once you’ve gathered your email database and personalized your invitation, you can hit that send button and…hey presto…invitation sent! It’s fast; it’s economical and practical. Sometimes it only takes seconds to receive a reply, granted that the other person is online at the same time as you.  Even if you’re not online simultaneously, it still is a faster process than having to wait for the actual paper invite to get to your front door.  It’s also easier to organise who has RSVP’d and who has not, when you issue online invitations.  The back-end systems in email marketing software allow you to manage RSVPs as well as profile updates and follow-ups.

On the other hand, even if online invitations are practical, fast and easily trackable, there is still something to be said for the good ol’ fashioned paper invitations.  There’s just something whimsical and exciting about receiving ornate and unique paper invites that say so much about the person or company sending it.

There’s no doubt that you feel a certain sense of rapport with the person who’s sending the invite and nothing beats the excitement you feel when you receive something in the mail.  Although, as with anything, the negative aspect to paper invites is that event coordiantors need to send them with plenty of time to spare as they can take a long time to get to you and are prone to getting lost in the mail or returned.  Also, there’s the risk that guests aren’t as organised and may lose the invite and completely forget about it if they didn’t plug it into your planner or organiser. 

Perhaps the best method is to do both? Plan in advance and send your invitation early. Follow up with an online reminder email so you are covering your bases – give them the option to RSVP online with an automatic entry into their calendar.

Regardless, if you want online or paper invites or even both for your event, trust in LOUD Events (www.loudevents.com.au) to get the job done in style. 

We’d love to hear about your experiences with invitations – how do you prefer to send them?

New entertainment trends for events

Part of what makes a business successful can often be traced back to how successful their marketing, communications, public relations and events are.  Whether it’s trade exhibitions or conferences and sales promotions, a great event requires careful planning, a creative imagination and trendy and timely activities.  You have to be in touch with pop culture to be able and capitalise on the ever-changing phenomenon when you host an events. The last thing you want is an event that’s stale or ‘last season’  So, what are the new entertainment trends for events this year?

LOUD Events are no stranger to hosting large-scale conferences and events which is why we often keep our ears to the ground to bring you the latest entertainment trends and make your event stand out and attract the crowd you’d expect.  We offer complete solutions, which include planning, management, logistics and even large format printing to bring to your table everything that you’ll need to host your corporate event. 

When looking at the most popular trends in events, we often gather inspiration by what’s going on in the entertainment industry. For example, movies can give you great ideas when theming events – for example the new Minnie Driver film ‘Hunky Dory’ is set in the 70’s with a gorgeous tinge of summer filtered light used in the film. It can be something as whimsical as this that might give inspiration to a whole 70’s event theme, including entertainment, decorations and catering.

When something is popular, the buzz from it is enough to spark the attention of people everywhere creating its own buzz from your marketing strategy.  It’s also easier for people to identify with it because it’s something familiar to them.  Now, there are times when you need something over-the-top to really blow your customers’ minds – something in the range of circus performers or even the actual circus itself. 

The great thing about large-scale corporate events is that you can be as outlandish as you like, provided you know beforehand that people will appreciate the efforts and enjoy themselves.  With LOUD Events you’re sure to get some inspirational and our expertise, everything will be taken care of and you won’t have to worry about a thing! Give us a call today.

A Week Out of The Office – Borneo With One’s Mother…

So yes finally a week off. One big breath, a bottle of wine and we took off at midnight heading for Singapore with little packed besides trekking shoes, deet, the camera and leech socks……

We landed nine1 hours later in KK (Kota Kinabalu for all those naive travelers – ha ha) – where the hell is that I hear you ask? Well now I have flown in and out six times in a week I believe I am educated to tell you that it is the capital city of Sabah the northern province of Borneo, Malaysia. Why here….. I have had this overwhelming desire to visit the orang-utans since I was small. I originally had preconceived ideas that I would longingly cling to a baby orphaned orang-utan and although this long life dream didn’t play out quite so, it was never the less a trip of a life time.

To make it happen I took my divine mother. Another on my list – to travel throughout off the beaten track with mum before she was in a wheel chair (yes mum I can’t push you around the rain forest!!). I say all tongue in cheek, my mum is as agile as a swinging monkey.

So landing in KK we had a quick night at the Novotel before flying out early morning to Sandakkan. Sandakkan is incredibly in its self – an amazingly tragic notch in the POWs of the Second World War. If the 1800 POWs involved in the death march only six returned. Extremely sad – but I am jumping forward in time.

We were met by our “land pilot” yes that is the name of our driver who was taking us to the Gomantong Caves in Sabah. The drive was an hour and half throughout palm oil fields – those that have been responsible for the incredible amount of logging throughout Borneo however those that are fielded by the international demand for cooking oil. The caves are world famous for the incredibly valuable bird nests of thousands of cave swiflets that live in the limestone cave system and a sustainable farming system of them.

“This edible bird nest, crafted by the birds from their saliva, are the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. It has been used in Chinese cooking for centuries, most commonly as Bird’s Nest Soup. For the protection of the caves as much as for the native people who have traditionally harvested these nests, the 9 caves of Gomantong fall within a forest reserve.

But for the natives the most interesting bird of all is the cave swiftlet that lives here by the thousands and builds primarily two types of nests, commonly referred to as white nests and black nests.

Both types are edible and are used in the traditional Chinese Bird’s Nest Soup. White nests are less labour intensive to prepare for use as they consist of almost entirely just bird saliva.

The black nests on the other hand, have feathers, twigs and dirt attached to it, so it requires a little more processing before it’s ready for human consumption.

It is said that Bird’s Nest Soup has been on the Chinese menu for some 400 years. In fact, some evidence suggests that it dates back as much as 1,000 years.

Needless to say, the tradition of nest collecting is an ancient one, passed down from generation to generation of fearless, daring and acrobatic bird nest collectors. So why are the bird nests so popular? The spit of the swiflets are said to have remarkable, neigh, mystical nutritional properties. However, chemical analysis of the bird nests indicates unremarkable nutritional compounds.”

The thing that amazed us more than the incredible number of bats and birds that fill the cave are the 1000 no millions of cockroaches that crawl on the cave base let alone the millipedes and six centimeter scorpions – yes six centimeters!. It was not for the ill hearted. If you can carefully balance and not have to touch anything you will be ok.

From here we traveled on further to the river system in Kinabatangan. This was to be our home over night and the base of our river trips in search of incredible wildlife. And yes we saw it – stunning bird life (don’t ask me to name them – I am no twitcher!), proboscis monkeys (the funny ones with the funny noses), wild orangutans, macaque monkeys, yellow banded snake (can kill you in an hour)…..that was our official welcome into Borneo. The next morning after a terrible piece of toast and marmalade we made our way back to the Sepilok Nature Reserve where the orphaned orang-utans are taken and rehabilitated.

Did it meet my expectations? If they could have just wrapped their little arms around my neck yes however of course that cannot happen. These stunning creatures do not have the immune systems we have. We cannot even spray insect repellent near them in fear of illness. So from a far we watched on as they were played on a feeding platform in one corner of this incredible protected reserve. Did you know they have 96.5% of our genetic build? That is absurdly close. The reserve is not bounded with fence lines however rangers who ensure the safety against poachers and teach these littlies how to feed, climb and exist without their mothers so the can be released back into the rain forests of Sabah.

We returned in the afternoon without other tourists and stood silently in amazement as these incredible creatures played among the trees. I was oblivious to the torrential rainfall – mesmerized by the interaction of the group, making themselves umbrellas from branches and sheltering their babies. As they orang-utans moved on, the macaque monkeys descended within seconds and created a live performance of cheekiness pushing each other off the platforms and playing games of hide and seek. I cannot simply describe the overwhelming feeling of amazement as we watched on.

It was only on departing that I realised I may have well have been swimming. We were sodden – completely 110% right through. We sploshed (is that a word?) back the Sepilok Nature Resort where we were spending the evening to be welcomed into the life of natural luxury – villas overlooking a lake – as five star as it gets in Borneo (well that is what we thought). Following a stiff gin, we dined on an incredible Malay Buffet – this was the start of my incredible feasting week. I could easily have put on five kilograms however the food was nothing short of spectacular (with exception to the lousy river toast).

From here we took off to visit the war memorial. I have travelled afar over the years and seen the sites of a couple of hideous POW camps however this was a moving and tragic experience that touched us significantly.

“Australian prisoners were sent to Sandakan in 1942 to build an airstrip. At first they were treated reasonably well. Gradually, however, rations were reduced and bashings increased.

By late 1944, with Allied forces advancing toward Borneo, the Japanese decided to send about 2,000 Australian and British prisoners westward to Ranau, in Borneo’s rugged interior. Weak and sick prisoners staggered for about 260 kilometres along jungle tracks. Many died on the way, their bodies never recovered. Those unable to continue were killed; those too weak to march had been left behind in Sandakan, where all died or were killed. Only six – all Australians – out of about a thousand sent to Ranau survived the war. The Sandakan “death march” remains the greatest single atrocity committed against Australians in war.” And then some.

It felt flippant to keep going however that was how it had to be, I believe ANZAC day here is an incredibly moving day.

We flew out that afternoon and headed back to KK for our next destination – the Poring Springs and Mt Kinabalu in Kinabalu Park. Within 1 1/4 hectre (3 acre) area there are 5 hot springs with temperature ranging from 49º to 60º C (120º to 140º F). The steamy sulphur water is channeled into several tiled pools and tubs – a little too touristy for my appreciations. These have replaced the original wooden ones installed by the Japanese during wartime occupation. Soaking in a hot water bath is an ideal way to recuperate from an arduous mountain climb if you had done one however with an elderly mother (KIDDING) we decided against the two day climb? What was amazing was the 140m high canopy walk that provided us with an incredible outlook over the rainforest…..I am not sure the simple rope system was load tested annually however if I didn’t think about it the fear subsided.

We returned to KK for a body massage, I mean aren’t holidays for indulging and another Malay buffet – this time a visit to the seafood night markets where you select your fish (ours groper) and a number of prawns and they are cooked fresh for you. The food was incredible. I refuse to think of my salads next week as I try to shed the gained pounds.

The next morning was a flight to Lahad Datu and then a 2.5 hour drive (only 70km) through thick rainforest into Danum Valley to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. I can only describe our next 48 hours as simple paradise. Actually I don’t think the word does it justice. It was magnificent. The lodge, the food (yes again) and the trekking. Wild orang-utans, red leaf monkeys, pygmy elephant herds, leopard cats, flying lemmas, bucking deer, mouse deer, waterfalls and some of the most incredible plant life I have witnessed.

I would have to say the 48 hours was my highlight. The lack of mobile phone coverage adding to my total indulgence. All I can say is put it on the bucket list. Although the walks were only 2 – 3 kilometres they would take three or so hours each. At the end of the day completing four or five we were nothing short of exhausted. Totally and utterly. It was mind numbingly beautiful. Work seemed a world away. And it was….until I checked my email. Laughing – yes in the middle of the Borneo Rainforest you can still access wifi!

Sadly leaving we returned for our last indulgence. It was a day on an island 15 min from KK – Gayana. This was meant to be our only luxury experience in an over water bungalow however the rest of the trips’ accommodation turned out to be as beautiful. We did nothing once at Gayana and that was the plan. Sleeping lazily in the sun enjoying our last 24 hours without my two beautiful girls screaming at me for dinner / milk / a sandwich – I lazily gave thought to my partner bathing them and putting them to bed as I placed an order for a second pina colada and closed my eyelids – like a lizard content and well fed.

So in summary. Go. I do also think it is a great incentive holiday for management staff – you could compare it to Fiji in parts with a plethora of wildlife to through into the equation. The culinary experience was amazing as long as you embrace the culture and don’t mind rice at every feed and the service five star. The people are gentle and no one pushes you to buy – not even in the markets. It is overall a clean environment where people have incredible pride. I feel relaxed and ready for work on Monday.

Well for the moment anyway…….

Dessert can ‘make’ an event memorable

Whether you’re invited to attend a BBQ, a cocktail party or a fully-fledged sit-down dinner, there is almost always some form of catering involved. If you’re anything like us, the sweet treats get us excited and we’re always keen to see the amazing dessert concoctions arranged in tantalizing and mouthwatering displays on the tables.  It’s essential the desserts always taste amazing and look attractive no matter what.  This is not just because it’s dessert, it’s because this is the last thing people will taste from the food served at your event.  You need to make the right and lasting impression.

If you need to make a dessert statement to die for, at LOUD events, we keep an eye on trends that are guaranteed to make your company and your event the talk of the town. Of course, you can’t just serve any old dessert – there needs to be some serious thinking, planning and even a little bit of tasting.  Here are some factors that we think you should consider when planning your desserts.  You need to think about the type of event that you’re hosting, the type of food that has been served (tastes should blend!), the season when the event is held (cold or hot) and the demographic of the people who are attending. 

The best thing about getting inspiration from current trends is that you can take it, leave it, or modify it.  Say someone talks about the new dessert trend of injecting alcoholic beverage into a donut.  You can certainly consider it but you need to think twice if you want to serve it an event where minors will be part of your target market.  Also, if the weather’s cold, you may want to stick with desserts that will keep you warm instead of make you colder.  Just put yourselves in your guests shoes when planning desserts and you can’t go wrong.