Or should I say hello!  Still have Mexico on my mind since our “Mexican” themed family day celebration for one of our clients last week.  Bright colored decor helped to create a festive ambience.  Employees and their families enjoyed authentic Mexican cuisine while strolling Mexican musicians entertained the crowd.  The kid’s activities included your standard balloon and caricature artist.  However, we kicked it up a notch with a mechanical surfboard, a favorite with all the children.  But the hit of the party was an “Amazing Race” teambuilding event we created for this very competitive group.  Over 14 teams of six competed in 7 different activities ranging from Mexican word scramble to Chili Pepper eating contests.  However, the most entertaining activity was the Wacky Bat relay.  Individuals from each team placed their forehead on the top of a bat.  Then, while keeping their head on the bat, they had to circle around seven times and race to the finish line.  Needless to say, this activity was quite challenging for participants and very entertaining for spectators.  The day ended with some awards for the top three teams and a Happy Hour out on the patio featuring Manny’s famous conqueso and mango margarita’s.  Everyone had a great time.  And, the client has already approached us about their holiday party.  Back to brainstorming but first I think I’ll have to head to Manny’s for one of his margarita’s…..

So how does one stay on top of trends to essentially create a jaw dropping (or at least mind shifting) experience for the associates attending?

Here are a few avenues DbD takes to ensure the latest trends are not passing under our radar…

Whether this time is used as a breather from work, or to stimulate the creative juices, we here at DbD realize it is essential to set aside a moment each day to peruse the latest headlines in our industry. This shouldn’t be done mindlessly; instead we keep our subscriptions targeted and have a handful of internet resources we continually turn to. Forms of media such as; the internet, magazines, electronic newsletters and various publications explore the most cutting edge trends.

DbD also has active involvement in regional and national associations for our industry, this specifically being Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Belonging to this organization gives us access to information and trends beyond their print and electronic media…our team members continually attend events such as conferences, tradeshows, seminars and educational sessions put on by this industry leading organization as well as others! We have taken away some of our most awe-inspiring aspects of an event from MPI’s annual conferences.

We also stay on top new fads and the latest crazes by joining forums and newsfeeds through different forms of social media (here we go again!). By belonging to various groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, iMeet, and so on-we are able to directly connect with other industry professionals and read about what they are doing to stimulate attendees, and what hasn’t worked so well for them….

 But- most importantly, we expand our knowledge of trends in the industry by trying new things! Like the old saying goes…’sometimes, you’ll never know until you try.’ So we are always trying to ‘think outside the box’ to bust the myth that meetings and conferences have to be dry.

An overwhelming trend to simply be ‘different’- especially with the hard economic times, and the constant battle to ‘go green’ have a strong pull in our industry- STAY TUNED to see how DbD and the events industry in general has put some of these things into effect…

 Until next time!

Thankfully, the hotel we were at went above and beyond and we were able to move the beach party and turn it into a pool party!  We lost the element of the sand and waves, but no one seemed to care (didn’t hurt that there was an open bar)!  We all wish we would have known about this little fact, but we understand Mother Nature had a show to put on as well!

Pool Party!

It’s great to have you back, reading what DbD has been up to.  Man, if feels like forever since we last posted (or should I say it HAS been forever?).  We are looking forward to keeping you posted with what’s new at DbDEvents here on our blog on a more frequent basis – which is what has led us to our topic for the day…Social Media!

Wow – what a booming industry.  Companies across the globe are hiring talented young individuals to manage their company’s social media accounts – keeping consumers and fans updated with the latest and greatest from their home front.  Consumers can now log on to Twitter and know what sales are going on at their favorite retailers, get their news, and catch up on their celebrity gossip – sometimes even long before it hits the mainstream media.  Status updates are becoming easier to manage as outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are joining forces and allowing simultaneous updates to each account in one swoop…hello multi-tasking!!

DbD has also jumped onto this Social Bandwagon with our Facebook, Twitter, and even Blog (as if you didn’t know that already)!  We are becoming committed to keeping our fans and clients updated on topics relating to our business, as well as our industry.  DbD also recognizes the power that these outlets can have in reaching out to new and amazing people for networking and other business perks.  I’m sure there are a million stories out there about how Twitter/Facebook linked you or your company to the next “big thing…”

To you:  our fan, client, or potential partner – welcome and we are glad you are reading!  If you are interested in keeping up to date with our company, our amazing staff, or our spectacular events, we encourage you to become a fan on Facebook (Destinations by Design) or follow us on Twitter @DbDEvents ! 

Here are our latest and greatest headlines:

“Make-A-Wish BIG Wish Gala raises over $760,000 for Wish Kids.”  DbD was happy and thrilled to be back on this project this year.  The team really enjoys this amazing event – hosted by Colleen Marshall and entertainment by Rascal Flatts.

“2010 Memorial Tournament is almost here…” Year in and year out this event is always one of our favorites!  We look forward to hosting all of our corporate houses along the Muirfield Championship Course in Dublin, Ohio.

“Staff named Chair Person for PAMPI Sub-Committee.”  Jacee is very excited to have recently accepted the Chair Person role for such an outstanding Chapter of MPI.  She is ready to take on her role with the Philly chapter, and looking forward to meeting some amazing new people along the way.

“Food festival planning is in the works to showcase Ohio’s locally grown and organic food outlets.”  Yes!  We are just thrilled to be a part of this first-ever for Columbus.  More updates on this to come in the future…

Until next time, keep reading/posting/tweeting/updating – and let us know who you are too!  We would love to “follow…”

Destinations by Design is a full service event management company providing cost effective, creative planning solutions for meetings, events and conferences of any size. We are a third party firm that connects with clients,  gathers all necessary information about the event which then in turn gives us the freedom to contact vendors, plan the event and execute all of the details – finishing  the process with a grand experience!

As a Third Party event team we have an unparalleled national network of professionals allowing us to bring our clients the very best rates and quotes. We have great relationships with thousands of vendors, venues and hotel properties around the world that help us to deliver the most successful and budget-friendly event. Our staff is very experienced and works with the project’s end in mind. We offer an abundant amount of creative ideas, alternatives, suggestions and unique experiences to help achieve all business goals. When using a third party events planning team, the client is able to sit back and relax while the work is all done behind the scenes. Everything that goes on during the planning and executing process is taken into account and handled with the utmost professionalism. Our clients value our service and event planning capabilities, making it easy for them to hand us a summary of what they are looking for and we take it from there.

As you can see there are many positive attributes when thinking of using a third party event management company. Not only do we help to save exorbitant amounts of money, we also make the process of planning quick, easy and painless. So the next time you are thinking about canceling a meeting because of the tough economic times give us a shout, with our resources we can always help to make it happen!