A simple glance around the economy today, into the trends and highlights of the way people are doing business, will show you that Green is In and the importance of ethics and sustainability is at an all time high.  When it comes to event planning it’s no different and there are things you can do to ensure that your event promotion efforts will be green, sustainable and completely ethical.

Assuming that you’ve attended an event, conference, trade-show or even silent auction in the last few years you’ll most likely have no trouble agreeing that events cause waste and produce a pretty sizable amount of carbon emissions.  This waste comes from the sheer number of paper products, cans, trash and plastics being thrown away and discarded throughout the event.  Carbon emissions that come from that trash being sent to landfills as well as the heating, cooling, lighting and even transportation all add up quickly.  Knowing this, there are a few things you can do during the event planning stage, to reduce these negative effects and give your event a clean conscious from start to finish.  Here are some of the best ways:

• Support Environmentally Conscious & Sustainable Businesses – This might seem obvious, but by supporting businesses with proper sustainability policies already in place can help guarantee you’re setting your event off on the right foot.
• Use Public Transport – By using public transport, rather than hired vehicles, taxis or even people driving their own cars, you’ll cut down on carbon emissions drastically.
• Purchase Carbon Offsets – Using websites like ClimateCare, you can determine the amount of carbon emissions your event will generate and then purchase carbon offsets to help reduce the damage.
• Recycle – When the event is over, rather than just throwing everything away, set up proper recycling policies.
• Hire Local – Hire local whenever possible, this will not only cut down on transportation costs but also promote the local economy.

Following some of these tips as you go forward with your event planning will help guarantee that the ethics and sustainability will always remain intact and your event will maintain the highest standards.

Receive all of the latest news on meetings, event planning, audience response systems and electronic voting systems by subscribing to the Purple Carpet Event Blog RSS feed or by email. Or follow us on Twitter.

Planning an Ethical & Sustainable Event: Top Tips was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

In the current economic climate, fundraisers face a tough challenge: Trying to garner financial donations when donors simply don’t have as much to give.

And yet, that didn’t stop Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston from raising $1 million at its annual “In Party” silent auction fundraiser.

In a recent BizBash article, the hospital’s three secrets to success are revealed:

1. Keep it Simple. Organizers of the silent auction fundraiser moved away from overly elaborate decorations. Instead of expensive floral centerpieces, paper rectangles spanned each table, spelling out the party’s themes: innovation, inspiration and incredible care.

2. Reinforce the Cause. Event organizers also used the table centerpieces to constantly remind donors of their worthy cause. Every table included paper cards with detailed facts about the hospital programs affected by the event.

3. Make it Easy to Donate. Event organizers leveraged IML silent auction and pledge technology to streamline and simplify the bidding process. Guests were able to place bids from the comfort of their own seats. Plus, guests’ personal information was registered beforehand to make the bidding process even more convenient.

If you’re planning an upcoming silent auction fundraiser, implement these tips to ensure the current economic climate doesn’t stand in your way of raising funds.

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Silent Auction Fundraiser Raises $1 Million Despite Tough Economic Climate was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

One preventative hair loss shampoo company is working to “bring back the moustache” with a unique fundraising idea. After all, even bald men can grow moustaches!

Zenagen Shampoo, maker of a preventative hair loss shampoo, asked participants to submit pictures of themselves in costumes incorporating moustaches (real or fake), according to a recent article in The Auburn Plainsman. The winning photo – selected by a panel of judges – was chosen based on how well the moustache was incorporated into the costume.

The winner received a VIP trip to the annual ‘Stache Bash in St. Louis in the late fall. All proceeds from ‘Stache Bash ticket sales were donated to Challenger Baseball, a baseball league for children with disabilities.

We’ve found some more unique ideas to help incorporate interaction into events like the ‘Stache Bash and ensure maximum fundraising success:

• Put a fun twist on the typical photo contest. The Cotton Land Cluster of Dogs Shows recently hosted a fundraising contest to find the ugliest dog, which raised $5,000 from donations and entry fees. Have some ugly photos of their own? Post entries online and invite the public to vote on the best “worst” choice.

• Host an event with interactive audience voting. A Social Affair Dance Studio recently hosted a ballroom dancing contest where audience members voted for their favorites by making a $1 donation to charity. Build on this for your event by leveraging audience response systems, where attendees vote on keypads, to encourage even more participation.

• Leverage popular social networking channels to raise both money and awareness for a good cause. Social media marketing firm EVERYWHERE set the record for the world’s most widespread social network message, and in so doing raised $70,000+ in sponsor donations through social media fundraising. Encourage even more participation by tying in a poll asking participants to predict how much money the fundraiser will raise.

Check out some additional ideas for incorporating interaction into fundraising ideas.

Unique Fundraising Idea Tries to Bring the Moustache Back was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

IML Connector Audience Response System

Attendees at this week’s International Confex Exhibition in London got a firsthand, exclusive view of the brand-new IML Connector audience interaction and voting tool.

Not there? Not to worry.

We’ve got our own exclusive look at the new audience response system.

The audience response device – in direct response to event producer demand – reduces the amount of hardware necessary for attendees to fully participate in events. The single handheld device combines:

• Multiple audio channels and portable PA system
• Instant voting with configurable menus and choices
• “Push to talk” functionality, allowing attendees to ask questions without waiting for the mic

The Connector audience response system takes interaction to a whole new level by incorporating intuitive features such as an accelerometer that detects tilt and orientation. Imagine using the Connector at your next event to capture an actual show of hands.

User-friendly features have also been incorporated into the Connector. In place of an industry-standard alpha-numeric keypad, the Connector utilizes a QWERTY keyboard. Plus, the device offers a color screen for multimedia and high-resolution graphics, which enables more detailed question and answer sessions.

Learn more about the new Connector and other audience response systems available from IML.

To receive the latest news and tips for enhancing your next event with electronic bidding and pledging, subscribe to the Purple Carpet Event RSS Feed or by email.

Plus, you should follow us on Twitter today.

Gain an Exclusive Look at the Next Generation of Audience Response Systems was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

Large-scale events – from silent auctions to shareholder meetings – require careful planning, monetary resources and manpower. And a few tried-and-true tips for event planning don’t hurt, either.

In a recent podcast and whitepaper from promotional product retailer 4imprint, Paulette Wolf and Donielle Levine, authors of the book “Event Planning Made Easy,” offer what they consider the first and most important tip for successful event planning:

Establish the 5 “W’s” and 1 “How.”

One by one, those 6 elements include:

1. Who are the guests or attendees?

2. What is the event being planned?

3. Where will the event be held?

4. When is the event scheduled?

5. Why is the event being held—i.e., what’s the goal of the event?

6. How much is in the budget?

Of course, those steps are just the start. From there, the detailed work begins. We’ve come up with the next 6 “W” and “How” tips for event planning:

7. Who in my organization is willing and qualified to assist in the planning?

8. What channels should I use to promote the event?

9. Where can I find tools available to ensure full audience participation and interaction?

10. When should each planning milestone be reached leading up to the event?

11. Why did similar past events succeed or fail, and what lessons learned can be taken from those events?

12. How can I maximize fundraising ROI?

What tips for event planning would you add to the list?

12 Must-Read Tips for Event Planning was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

Not all silent auction events are created equally.

But the upcoming Inaugural Integration Auction, Scatter Categories 2010 – hosted by Brand in Entertainment (BiE) – is truly in a class all its own.

You won’t find luxury vacation packages, department store gift certificates or state-of the-art flat screen TVs at this silent auction event. On Jan. 20, corporate and ad agency representatives will gather to outbid one another for the chance at integrating their brands into the hottest upcoming films and television shows.

BiE helps weave national and international brands into pop culture through entertainment sources like movies, TV shows, plays, Webisodes and novels. We’re not talking product placements here, either. Think back to 1983, when all of America had to have the Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses donned by Tom Cruise in “Risky Business” during the infamous dance scene.

To make the silent auction event even more captivating and unique for guests, BiE has decided to collaborate with IML. Leveraging IML silent auction and pledge software, guests will be able to place bids on electronic keypads from the comfort of their own seats. Plus, they’ll be able to track bidding activity in real time on large-screen plasma TVs throughout the room.

For 2010, BiE currently has 33 films and 25 television projects scheduled, including “Henry’s Crime” starring Keanu Reeves and James Caan, and “Unamerican” starring Jessica Biel and John Leguizamo.

With electronic, interactive bidding and auction items you can’t get anywhere else, the Inaugural Integration Auction is sure to be an auction unlike any other.

Silent Auction Event Puts Brands on the Big Screen was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

Whether hosting a fundraising event for a school, church, non-profit organization or any other entity, certain planning requirements remain the same. In a recent post on The Fundraising Authority blog, several steps were identified to incorporate into planning. We’ve added to the list to create the 13 essential steps of any successful fundraising event.

1. Determine the event’s purpose. Is the goal to raise funds, gain publicity or develop a presence in a new market? In some cases, events have a combination of goals. For example, a charity dinner might be hosted to gain publicity for a non-profit organization, with a secondary purpose of raising funds.

2. Set a fundraising goal. The goal should be based on what the organization would like to net after accounting for all expenses. The event host committee, organization staff and key fundraisers can all help in determining this goal.

3. Plan for a budget. Budgets must encompass staffing, venue, food and drinks, entertainment, invitations, and security costs, among many other possible items. The most successful fundraising events also account for unexpected costs during budgeting.

4. Decide on a host committee. This group of donors, business leaders or celebrities can help an organization reach its fundraising goals by contributing funds and encouraging others to do the same. They may not be responsible for planning the event, but they’ll be vital to reaching fundraising goals.

5. Pinpoint the target audience. Determining who will be invited to the event will dictate much of the planning. For example, is the event geared toward a group of business leaders, parents of school children, families or other specific group?

6. Nail down event details. This includes choosing the location for the event, the food and drinks to be served, the required dress and special activities or entertainment for guests.

7. Ensure audience participation. A host of resources exist to help ensure maximum interaction among guests, including audience response text messaging systems or keypads with interactive quizzes.

8. Market the event to the target audience. Whether organizers choose to market the event through direct mail, telemarketing, word of mouth or via social networks, creating a marketing plan is critical. It may be helpful to think of the event as you would a product launch.

9. Create a procedure for ticket sales and donations. In addition to determining logistics like who will sell tickets and how they will be delivered, organizers should consider setting different contribution levels. For example, organizations could set a general ticket price for the actual event, and also offer a VIP level that would give attendees access to an additional reception.

10. Brainstorm ways to maximize fundraising. Successful fundraising events involve raising the highest amount of money possible. One way organizations can achieve this is through automated silent auction software. This technology allows guests to place instant bids during silent auctions directly from their seats.

11. Hold a quick event run-through. For all parties involved in running the event, organizers must ensure their roles and responsibilities are clearly communicated and understood. The larger the event, the more preparation needed.

12. Encourage audience participation. Audience participation is crucial for two reasons: First, it ensures all participants engage with one another and enjoy themselves. Second, the more audience interaction at an event, the more likely guests will be to donate funds. Discover how one high school was able to maximize donations at a fundraising event by soliciting audience response through electronic keypads.

13. Show appreciation to donors and participants. It’s important to keep all donors, vendors, staff and volunteers happy, so they will want to participate in future events. Saying “thanks,” even through simple notes, can go a long way.

Keeping these 13 steps in mind – whether planning a large or small affair – will ensure a successful fundraising event for all parties involved.

13 Essential Elements of Successful Fundraising Events was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

For charity organizations, a down economy presents a conundrum of sorts: the worse the economy, the greater the need for fundraising donations—and the greater the difficulty in securing them. When brainstorming fundraising ideas, it’s vital to consider how to maximize fundraising ROI.

But which fundraising ideas produce the best results? And which donor groups should be targeted to gain the most return?

Blogger Norman Olshansky, of non-profit consulting firm NFP Consulting Resources, presents some useful statistics to maximize fundraising (based on “Fund Raising: Evaluating and Managing the Fund Development Process” by James Greenfield) in a recent post.

In other words, to raise $1 through direct mailing general lists, you’d have to spend $1.15. But to raise $1 through soliciting major gifts, you’d only need to spend $0.05 to $0.10.

When you’re planning your next fundraiser, keep in mind which efforts produce the best results. Then brainstorm ways to maximize fundraising for the method you chose—whether that’s a direct mailing campaign or a gala.

For example, in October, Keep a Child Alive held its 2009 Black Ball to support children and families in Africa and India who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The fundraiser included such high-profile names as President Bill Clinton, Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, John Mayer and Sir Richard Branson. To maximize ROI and attendee participation, the group utilized a silent auction software system that allowed guests to pledge donations right from their seats.

The event experienced a 30% participation rate, compared with the less than 10% average participation rate of similar events. In the end, the Black Ball was able to generate more than $70,000!

What ideas do you have to maximize fundraising ROI?

Maximize Fundraising at Your Next Event was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

In December 2005, Associated Content offered twelve ideas for how to run a silent auction with the article Organize A Silent Auction.

Despite being nearly four years old, some ideas in the article are timeless, including:

• Set a deadline for items to be entered into the auction
• Ensure you have sufficient lighting wherever the auction is to be held.

In the four years since this article was published, silent auction software built into hand-held Communicators from IML has ensured the success of hundreds of silent auctions.

As such, we are delighted to expand on the list of ideas for how to run a silent auction:

1. Allow Anonymity: Attendees at your silent auction are there to spend money.  As an event organizer, your job is to make sure they spend as much as possible.  Anonymous bidding will help you do this by eliminating the risk of collusion between attendees, where friendly bidders work together to keep the final price on items down.  This collusion is replaced by bidders driving up prices of items as they never know who it is they are bidding against.

2. Make Bidding Easy: Make no mistake, when attendees are at an event they are in full-scale stay-, or even va-, cation mode.  This means that the more complicated it is to place a bid, the less likely it is for an attendee to follow through with a bid.  Whenever possible, make placing a bid as easy as pushing a button.

3. Lose The Paper & Clipboards: Silent auction software helps attendees post bids securely and electronically.  Attendees are also notified if someone dares outbid them.  Ever seen a fight break out at the end of a silent auction with two attendees hovering over a bid-sheet?  You won’t with silent auction software.

4. Who Needs Prizes? A recent event hosted by poverty fighting organization Robin Hood encouraged attendees to bid for no other prize than the spirit of competition.  Attendees in numbered table sections used IML Communicators to outbid competing table sections, with real-time results posted for all in attendance to see. In all, this event raised over $72 million for the New York poor.

5. Have Fun: Is this the most obvious idea, most important idea, or both?  The more enjoyable the event is for the attendees, the more positive energy will be created. And this, more than anything else, will encourage attendees to spend.

Discover more ideas for how to run a silent auction with complimentary case studies available on our website.

Share some of your own ideas for how to run a silent auction via a comment below.

5 More Ideas for How to Run a Silent Auction was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com

A recent article in Profit Quests Fundraising titled “A New Trend in Fundraising,” details both the history, and per its title, unique new ideas in fundraising.

In regards to historical fundraising, the article offers an interesting history on the emergence of fundraising galas and events.  When discussing new trends, the article cites new philanthropic support companies, like eTapestry.com and Kintera.com, “that have put an electronic twist to the old fundraising methods.”

At IML, we’ve seen hundreds of fundraising events achieve unprecedented success when using new technology to support unique fundraising ideas.  Below, are two of the best:

• The Silent Auction: Paul VI Catholic School, needing money to upgrade school technology, hosted a silent auction where attendees could electronically bid for items at their own pace.  Since bids were placed electronically, attendees were also alerted electronically and could immediately respond if someone dared to outbid them.  The results were $30K more in donations than projected.

• The Prize-less Silent Auction: Much like the example above, but with one difference you can probably already guess – not a single prize was up for bid.  At this silent auction, attendees in numbered table sections were encouraged to bid for no prize other than outbidding the table section directly to their left or right.  Results updated instantly on mammoth screens in the middle of the gala, spurring more bids by turning the night’s event into a contest.  The result was over $72 million raised for the New York poor.

Full disclosure, the events above achieved success, in part, because of electronic innovations like audience response systems and silent auction software created by IML.  While we may be a bit biased in bragging about these stories, we would also be remiss in not sharing these stories.

Now, we want you to share your stories.

What other unique fundraising ideas, supported by technology, have you seen translate into success?

Unique New Fundraising Ideas Heard on the Purple Carpet was posted at Purple Carpet Event Blog. | http://www.purplecarpeteventblog.com