Just one day into the filming of season four of the reality TV series Bachelor in Paradise, production came to a grinding, screeching halt. The reason? There was an alcohol-fueled sexual encounter involving two contestants: Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson. The allegation is that Corinne was too drunk to consent and the producers should have stepped in to stop a sexual encounter. They didn’t.
The Criminal Code of Canada is being updated to clarify and toughen up the meaning of sexual consent. Specifically, despite a recent controversial court ruling that is under appeal, someone who is unconscious or so drunk that they are not aware of what is going on cannot give consent. Other jurisdictions are likely to follow.
No one other than the producers who are in possession of the video footage knew for sure what happened on the Bachelor in Paradise set. After a two-week investigation, Warner Bros. announced that the raw footage had revealed that no sexual assault had taken place that night. This did not undo the fact that, The Bachelor brand has been tarnished and the future success of Bachelor in Paradise remains uncertain. Could the same thing happen to your brand?
During a corporate event, especially when a corporate group is in a stunning foreign setting, alcohol may flow freely and as everyone is having fun and in a lighter mood…and it’s easy for employees to forget about their personal safety. It is also easy for companies to forget about Duty of Care.
Employers have a duty of care to their employees, which means that they should take all possible steps to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing.
Unlike a TV series, in a corporate environment, there is usually no video footage to shed a light on what took place. There have been enough U.S. sexual harassment lawsuits that have resulted in multimillion-dollar awards to establish the fact that there can be liability for the organization when situations go awry. Recently, Uber executives were forced to resign as a result of a dysfunctional corporate culture that included alcohol abuse and sexual harassment. Wired magazine’s article about the “alcohol soaked” cultures in many tech firms which shared the results of a Cornell University study, concluded that there is a: “…close connection between permissive workplace drinking cultures and sexual harassment. And while blaming sexual assault on alcohol would be a mistake, many incidents involve people who have been drinking. In short, heavy drinking at work or conferences makes employees—especially women—less safe.”
There are no easy or clear-cut solutions or easy answers, but the following steps help reduce risks to employers and ensure employee safety during corporate events and overseas trips. Corporate event planners and their clients would be well advised to give serious consideration to these 10 tips for preventing alchohol abuse and sexual misconduct at company functions.
1. Set and communicate clear and specific policies about alcohol consumption and appropriate behavior for corporate events.
It is best to include this in a documented code of conduct and have all employees sign it when they are hired (or when the code is introduced/amended).
2. Pinpoint which misconduct warrants disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
As a guideline, misconduct that violates the criminal code or jeopardizes the safety of employees should be included. Also include behavior that could bring disrepute or negative publicity to the organization.
3. Remind individuals that they have a responsibility to monitor their own alcohol consumption and behavior and avoid situations that could put them in danger.
Examples: Avoid sexual encounters with co-workers and individuals who you have just met if you are even slightly tipsy. Don’t go off the beaten track on your own, especially if you have been drinking.
4. Establish a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct.
DeMario Jackson’s employer fired him immediately.
5. Ensure that all members of the senior management team lead by example.
6. Limit alcohol consumption.
Consider wristbands as an alternative to an open bar or drink tickets. (Drink tickets can be passed on by employees who don’t consume alcohol.)
7. Provide a wide assortment of non-alcoholic beverages.
8. Always have certified bartenders to monitor the situation for hospitality suites and villas.
I repeat always.
9. Designate at least one senior manager to refrain from consuming alcohol, monitor the situation and intervene if things get out of hand.
Hotel security can be called upon to escort individuals who are rowdy or disorderly back to their rooms. For events “at home,” transportation can be arranged to ensure that employees get home safely or a hotel room should be provided for them to sleep it off.
10. Turn off the tap at least an hour before an event is scheduled to end.
This will reduce the likelihood that individuals will leave events in a vulnerable state.
Sex when mixed with alcohol can be a volatile cocktail with serious fall-out for employers and employees. Caution must be exercised by all parties.
Want to bring in the cash, attract clients with ease and network like a ninja? It all sounds great, right? These are just a few of the benefits of hosting your own business event. The good news is that hosting a successful event that achieves your goals can be done, even on the bare minimum budget.
The question is, how?
We’ve put together seven essential event planning tips and important things to consider when organizing small business events. These tips will help you save money and time while ensuring your event is a hit with your guests. You’ll be hosting and running a top-notch business event in no time, all without breaking the bank!
6 Event Planning Tips for Businesses on a Budget
1. Set clear and measurable goals
First things first: Sit down and set clear, measurable goals that you can use to guide all future decisions. The biggest money and time wasters are due to a lack of clarity, so defining your goals will help you avoid any unnecessary costs that aren’t serving your main purpose.
Some examples of clear goals you might set:
Sell 200 Tickets
Invite/book 3 Speakers
Start promoting the event and selling tickets in 20 days
Host the event in 60 days
Spend less than $500
Moving forward, you can relate every decision you make back to the goals you set. Per the example above, you won’t procrastinate and drag out the planning process because you’ve set a goal of promoting and selling within 20 days—and, for example, you won’t get distracted and tempted by every speaker opportunity that arises because you’ve set a goal of having only three.
When you’re ready to take action on your goals and bring your event to life, EventBrite’s got a handy timeline and template for taking the next steps.
2. Hone in on your audience
It’s important to have a great understanding of your audience so you can plan an event that will generate a lot of buzz and interest. Your event will be a reflection of you and your business, so you want to make sure it brings value to those who attend.
Some questions you should ask yourself to understand your audience better:
What are my target audience’s interests? (What sponsors would they relate to?)
What time and location would suit their needs? (Do they work late? Are they local? Could inclement weather affect the event?)
What price is suitable for my audience? (Are they students or professionals?)
When you are 100 percent sure on who the audience is, you can effectively use your marketing spend through tools like social media targeting and creating your marketing collateral in the language and style that most attracts them. When it comes to things to consider when organizing an event, defining your audience is perhaps the most vital.
3. Budget at the beginning
One of the most important things to consider when organizing an event is outlining your budget from the beginning. It’s also necessary to define what you want to achieve with the event—is it to network, get new clients, raise your profile?
Work out how much a new client is worth to you, and use that to help guide your budget. For example, if a new client is worth $1,000 to your business, how many clients will you need to acquire to cover the cost of your event?
Setting your budget at the beginning will help you identify what you can and can’t afford. You can answer questions such as: Will you print paper tickets? Or will you save money and send electronic tickets? Furthermore, 10 percent wriggle room gives you the leg space to handle unexpected circumstances and expenses.
4. Use free event management software
Using event management software is one of the most important things to consider when organizing an event on a limited budget. Fortunately, there is a ton of free event management software you can use to help make the planning and organization of your event a breeze. Most software will include features such as ticketing, custom branding, event schedules, data management and registration forms.
At Little Tokyo Two, our favorite options for free event management software are EventLeaf, RSVPify and Odoo. One of the most popular and comprehensive platforms for event management is EventBrite. It’s free to get started on EventBrite, but you will have to start paying once you make a sale. You’ll also find plenty of event management tips for beginners within the platforms.
Social media is a powerful platform you can use to promote your event and create buzz. Did you know a social media presence can increase attendee engagement by 33 percent? Facebook is the most powerful platform for marketing events, and if you can spare some money in your budget for Facebook Ads and the time to target well, they will be well worth the investment.
Facebook’s in-depth targeting features will allow you to deliver your ads to the right people, maximizing your chances of converting viewers to ticket sales. Offering a limited-time discount is a great way to get more people to buy. Consider starting a Facebook Event to raise more awareness and to keep in contact with people who have purchased a ticket.
LinkedIn is another great platform to use to promote your business event. You can update your LinkedIn status, publish a post promoting the event, post in relevant groups, and even advertise on the platform. EventBrite have also written a great article on how to use LinkedIn to promote your business event.
During the event, Twitter and Instagram are great platforms to use for attendee engagement and promotion of your brand and event. Using your event hashtag will not only raise awareness of the event, but it will also result in a great collection of photos and videos from the event that you can use later.
Having a social media strategy in place allows you to keep your guests updated before the event as well as engage with them after the event to get feedback. Some other effective social media strategies you can use to help your event succeed include creating an event hashtag, sharing behind-the-scenes content and streaming live video from the event. The best thing about social media: It’s only the time it takes to manage and enhances your public business profile.
6. Find Sponsors
Finding sponsors for your event is a great way to save money if you’re on a tight budget. First, consider your event topic and the audience and then brainstorm what sort of businesses might be interested in being a sponsor.
You don’t need to think of big, wealthy companies when considering sponsors. Get creative and approach some local businesses that might be interested. For example, approach a local caterer to sponsor the food, or find a local business to sponsor gift bags for the guests. Relevant companies will also be interested in having their name displayed on emails, tickets and signs at the event and will consider the sponsorship as brand awareness and exposure.
You can also enhance your business’ social conscience by partnering with sponsors who donate a percentage of their profits to charity. For example, you could use The Good Beer Co., a social enterprise beer company, to supply beverages for the night. The Good Beer Co. donate 50 percent of profits to their charity partners.
Hosting an event on a shoestring budget will be a challenge, but it’s certainly possible, and the benefits you’ll receive will make it worth the trouble. If you use the event planning tips above you’ll be well on your way to planning a low-cost event with big rewards.
At Little Tokyo Two, we have event spaces in each of our locations, with the perfect space suited to your needs, body count and the environment you’d like.
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A lot of times when people meet me in person, they’re surprised to see that I’m not “all in” on one of the major technology platforms. Apparently, as an event technology nerd I’m supposed to help people pick a side. “Oh,” they say, “I would have guessed you were a Mac guy,” as they notice my oversized Android phone.
The fact of the matter is that I believe very strongly in using the right tool for the right job. My home computer runs Windows, my kids’ tablets are Amazon Fires, my work computer is a Mac, my phone runs Android and my tablet is an iPad. I’ve chosen these platforms carefully over the years, and I’m constantly re-evaluating whether or not they make sense. I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on a Chromebook for our next family computer, but we still have a few programs not supported by the platform. Sounds like my kids are going to get Chromebooks from their school though, so we’ll get to add that to the mix soon enough!
A result of having so many devices in so many different camps is that I’ve been accumulating a group of apps and services that work across all platforms, and aren’t confined to the Apple, Windows or Google universes. So without further ado, here’s my top six list of cross-platform apps for meeting and event professionals.
A good to-do list app is the cornerstone of the digital age. Wunderlist is simple, customizable and can parse things like “April 1 take the garbage out,” which automatically creates an item called “take the garbage out” with a due date of April 1 (it’s amazing how many apps can’t actually do that in 2017). You can set priorities, have multiple lists and the data all syncs seamlessly to all of your devices. You can even share lists among co-workers or family, helping everyone stay on task.
Everyone needs a cloud brain to store all those useless bits of information, so that your real brain can go back to cereal ad jingles. I used to be firmly in the Evernote camp, but not needing the Pro version, I became frustrated by how strongly they were pushing me, almost biweekly, to upgrade. Nonetheless, some people swear by it, and it almost has to make this list based on principle. If you’re ready for a change, however, Microsoft has been making strides in establishing their apps across all platforms, and OneNote is solid. I find the syncing a little kludgy at times, but overall it’s a great note-taking application. Combine it with OfficeLens, which is a mobile app for scanning documents, receipts, whiteboards or photos, and you have a powerful digital filing cabinet.
OK, I’m cheating a little on this one. I haven’t found a truly cross-platform calendar that I love, but this one-two punch is pretty close. For iOS and macOS, Fantastical 2 is incredible. If you’d have told me I’d shell out $40 for a calendar app, I’d have said you were nuts, but as the timer clicked down on my free trial, I knew I was going to have to do it. It’s simple on the surface, but incredible under the hood, and seamlessly syncs all my calendars from all over the web. On my Mac it lives up in the menu bar (and also understands natural language like, “Meeting with Tom Smith at 1 p.m. on Tuesday”), and I have a keyboard shortcut so that I can highlight any random bit from an email and it will automatically create an appointment based on whatever it can parse from the info. On iOS, it’s easy to swipe into multi-window mode and access Fantastical from whatever app you’re in.
Business Calendar is an Android app, done by some very cool German developers. It has a similar look and feel to Fantastical, and has a beautiful home screen widget for my daily agenda. They work perfectly together, and I’ve been using both for years now.
4. PowerPoint
Yep. You heard me. Believe it or not, this is another app that Microsoft has been trying to make work better across all platforms. It works quite well on all of my devices, including my phone and tablet, though I still prefer Apple Keynote for my own personal presentations. As time goes on, PowerPoint has fixed most of the issues that used to plague it, and, as a result, I’m finding it harder and harder to justify the $2,500 for a MacBook. To be honest, almost all of the Microsoft Office programs work quite well these days across all platforms, so don’t be afraid to stick with what you know, even if you start dipping your toes into another platform pool.
Now that the workday is done, you need a little relaxation as you hop a plane for home. Once we had kids, I found I didn’t ever have time to just sit around and read a book or magazine any more. Audible—and podcasts—to the rescue! I’ve “read” more books in the last five years than I probably had in the previous 20. Whether I’m on the plane, mowing the lawn or doing a few dishes, I pop in my earbuds and I can get lost in a story. I like to alternate between fiction and non-fiction, just to keep things interesting. My library is synced between all my devices, and I have cloud access to every book I’ve ever purchased from them should I feel the need to re-visit something.
For years now I’ve been screaming into the wind that event professionals need to start taking cyber security seriously. As more and more conferences and meetings use sophisticated ticketing, registration and conference app technology, more and more of our attendees’ data is being taken into the cloud. If your registration back-end password is Monkey123, you’re putting your attendees at risk. LastPass is a password management service that’s been vetted by top security professionals. You can use it to create long, random passwords that aren’t duplicated across websites, so even if one of your websites gets hacked, they don’t have a chance of hacking any more of them. “But what if the service gets hacked?” is the most common question asked. Though it’s theoretically possible, LastPass does not hold the keys to your account, so it cannot surrender the data to either cyber criminals or government agencies. If the service was hacked, all they’d find was a blob of unreadable data. That is, of course, unless your LastPass password is Monkey123.
There are no easy or clear-cut solutions or easy answers, but the following steps help reduce risks to employers and ensure employee safety during corporate events and overseas trips. Corporate event planners and their clients would be well advised to give serious consideration to these 10 tips for preventing alchohol abuse and sexual misconduct at company functions.
The fact of the matter is that I believe very strongly in using the right tool for the right job. My home computer runs Windows, my kids’ tablets are Amazon Fires, my work computer is a Mac, my phone runs Android and my tablet is an iPad. I’ve chosen these platforms carefully over the years, and I’m constantly re-evaluating whether or not they make sense. I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on a Chromebook for our next family computer, but we still have a few programs not supported by the platform. Sounds like my kids are going to get Chromebooks from their school though, so we’ll get to add that to the mix soon enough!
