Party, Wedding, & Event Planning

Six Advantages to Virtual Trade Shows

2009-02-12T09:35:00.001-05:00

Six Advantages to Virtual Trade Shows by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP

A virtual trade show is a cross between a webcast meeting and a video game. And it's the next big trend in trade shows. Although a mere 1% of all trade shows are now held online, industry experts expect that by 2015, more than 25% of trade shows will be conducted in virtual environments. That's a market you can't afford to ignore.

Like online meetings, a virtual trade show can be simple or breathtakingly realistic. The simplest assemble a series of pages, each one a virtual booth for an exhibitor, plus instant messaging so exhibitors and attendees can talk in real time. The more complex are complete environments like high-level video games or such online worlds as Second Life. In these, each participant controls an avatar. VOIP (voice over internet protocol) can allow you to talk to attendees, and you can easily email brochures or allow attendees to download them.

But why bother when face-to-face meetings are so much more satisfying and real? Because virtual trade shows offer some solid advantages.

1. Triumph Over Tighter Budgets

Imagine a trade show with no costs for transportation, shipping, hotels, hospitality, or booths, and just a minimal cost for exhibit space. That's a virtual trade show.

With travel costs rising and travel budgets falling, more industries are turning to virtual trade shows as a less expensive way to showcase their wares. Electronics and high tech companies are naturally comfortable with the online format, but they're not alone. Plenty of other industries, from plumbing to candy-wrapper design, have held successful virtual shows.

2. Spread Your Wings

All too often, the sheer size of trade show investment keeps the marketing department stuck in a traditional rut of "what worked last year." The new medium will free you to experiment with innovative exhibit ideas - and rapidly change the ones that don't work. At a virtual trade show, you don't need to worry about the flow of foot traffic or many other design constraints.

Moreover, you'll have help designing your display. Set-up on virtual trade show sites takes less than an hour, and the software is supplied. Depending on the site, you will have an exciting array of multimedia tools at your service. Some offer VOIP (voice over internet protocol), so you can chat by voice with attendees. Most offer instant messaging capabilities, so you can chat in real time with attendees - and keep several conversations going at once.

3. Open a Stall in a New Market

Not only will you be able to test fresh approaches, you will also have the freedom to explore new markets without fear of blowing the annual budget. Because of the low overhead, you can dare to attend non-traditional trade shows you might not otherwise attempt.

4. The Future Is Green

Compared to traditional trade shows, virtual trade shows are "greener." Lowering environmental impact is an increasingly important goal for many companies. Tax incentives for cutting fuel costs are also likely to increase, making virtual exhibits an even more attractive proposition.

5. Follow That Lead!

Traditional trade shows often generate exciting leads. Unfortunately, 80% of those leads are never followed up - a statistic bound to discourage the most enthusiastic marketing professional. The reasons are myriad: disconnects between marketing and sales departments, the difficulties of reading hand-scribbled names and addresses, the tedium of entering contact information by hand into databases.

However, virtual trade shows collect the data for you - and most include built-in lead management software. Suddenly tracking those leads becomes simple. In addition, many systems offer tags so you can make notes on attendees or companies, making it easy to follow up. You can also keep tabs on both staff and attendee activities.

Virtual trade show systems generally allow you to run analytics as soon as the show is over. Instead of entering all the data separately, the virtual trade show tracks and analyzes it for you. You'll be able to start following up leads immediately, which can greatly improve your return on investment.

6. Market to the Twenty-First Century Customer

Most important of all, virtual trade shows will help you reach out to the digital generation. Over time, more and more corporate decision makers will be at least as comfortable with the virtual world as they are with text on a page.

Already members of the digital generation are taking over key positions in government and business. President Obama's transition team was co-chaired by a Wharton professor distinguished not only for his scholarship but for his skill at World of Warcraft, a virtual raiding game. Plenty of people now in their thirties could use a mouse before they could clutch a pencil, and they spend their spare time on Second Life and other virtual realms. A virtual trade show will seem as natural to them as the telephone does to older people.

This demographic trend is bound to continue. Gaining experience now in the virtual world will give you an edge in marketing to this vast demographic.

The virtual trade show may never completely replace the great exhibit halls. Face-to-face contact is just too essential for many people. However, a wise marketing professional will use this exciting new technology to reach out to customers. It's one more tool in your arsenal, and you can use it effectively to improve your company's bottom line.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, internationally recognized expert working with companies to increase their profitability at tradeshows. Author: "Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market" and "Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies." For a free copy of "Exhibiting Success" sign up for "Tradeshow Tips Newsletter" at www.thetradeshowcoach.com

Limo: To hire or not to hire, that is the question!

2007-05-18T08:34:00.000-04:00

Through our research among Limousine companies and limo sites we found that many people seem to see these recreational and exotic cars as part of some unreachable extraordinary world. Among the features that help to create this idea is the relation between the complex Prices-Quality-Social opportunity. Today limousine companies are offering complete services, which includes the luxurious cars, well trained and professional chauffeurs, a huge amount of amenities (Open bar, Neon flashing lights, Karaoke machine, Satellite radio, Compact disc player, DVD player, Mini kitchen, Snacks, Audio Systems, Ice Cooler, Dance floor, among others). To combine all this services with the quality they promise, can make prices being sometimes very expensive to many common people. That is why the social opportunity for hiring a limousine is mostly in special occasions like hen nights, stag nights, weddings, business trips, corporate hire, birthday/anniversary celebration, school proms, bachelor parties and more; and the people who can afford this "special treatment" usually come from established economical and social parts of the society. Hiring or not a limo for memorable occasions becomes an important question both to the companies as to the customers as there are many ways of celebrating a special event. Although the competition increase in an exponential way between limo companies in the last years, for many people, the main problem in hiring a limousine still concerns the prices. However we can't forget that other issues like the education or cultural background are very important to understand "who is booking now" the limo services, as we notice for example that most of the customers are living in urban areas comparing with those from the countryside. What makes the hiring of a limo (which includes all the services and amenities) a desirable option? We can point some answers: first is the quality provided by the service in general, the continuous improvement of the cars, the chauffeurs, and the amenities. Second is the desire of security, comfort and fun, which a ride in a limo can promise and provide. Third, because hiring a limousine it's different than renting one, people don't have to worry about anything except to enjoy a great night and make sure that the event really feels special. Fourth is the "brightness" used in the marketing of limo companies as almost them are selling their services as an extraordinary experience full of glamour and class, re-inventing the limo tradition as "cars for stars" but now directed for everybody (to see more about the new changes/inventions in the companies see this limousine article). To finish we can see significant changes in the prices (decreasing) the companies are offering, as they are struggling against a much more competitive and aggressive competitors in parallel with a market who shows clear signs of opening due to the increase of recreational demands. We can say that although there are many ways of enjoying a special event in some special way, hiring a limo still is one of the best choices. The relation between the quality provided by most of the companies and the prices is moving towards a new balance: keeping the usual "taste" associated with the limo glamour and turning prices into affordable quantities for more and more persons. This will gather more and more potential clients placing the hire of a limo in a strong referential position among recreational services and resources.

Fun Party Planning Ideas: 4 Fabulous and Unique Party Activity Tips

2007-03-23T14:42:00.000-04:00

There are SO many details to think about when organizing and planning a party. You've got to create the guest list, send out the Save the Dates and invitations, find a great venue for the party, choose a fabulous caterer and maybe even an awesome band. That's the easy part.

Having a party that both you and your guests will remember for a long, long time means you can't stop there! Once you've got the basic details of your party lined up, it's time to take it one step further and get creative! And creating memorable, fun and unique party activities can do just that.

Now, I'm not talking about the party games that put you on the spot and make you cringe at the mere mention of them. No, what I'm talking about are party activities that engage your guests in uniquely interactive and fun way without them even knowing they're being involved! Trust me, it's great icebreaker fun for even the shyest guests!

Here are 4 interactive party activities that ALL guests at our Company's Five-Year Anniversary party participated in for a truly unique, memorable and fabulously fun time:

#1 Very Fun Party Activity: Create a Mystery Cocktail

Create a custom cocktail for your guests to try and guess its ingredients! As each guest enters the party, have your catering staff hold trays of the special concoction and greet guests as they enter. You can also set up a special table with glasses of the "mystery" cocktail.

It's a great way to get everyone in the party mood and at the same time it will get your party guests to immediately begin mingling with each other as they try to figure out what's in the drink!

Tip: Have at least one "easy" taste in the cocktail for your guests to guess. For example, use something distinctive like pineapple or orange. And if it's appropriate, rim the glasses with colored sugar or salt to make the presentation even more festive!

#2 Very Fun Party Activity: Take Polaroid Pictures and Give Them as Party Favors

Polaroid pictures are great fun at parties because they are funky, retro and most of all, instant! They capture the fun of the moment and can be given to your guests in a nice picture frame or photo mount as party favors. Assign someone to the Polaroids and have special frames or mounts ready to insert the photo in and voila! Your guests will have an instant personalized souvenir to remember their special moment at your party for years to come!

Tip: These frames or mounts are readily available, but do require some lead-time. So be sure to include an RSVP on your invitation so you know how many to order. Allow yourself plenty of time (especially if you want them personalized) so you don't pay rush-shipping charges.

#3 Very Fun Party Activity: Create a Polaroid Instant Photo Guest Book

Since you've already got the Polaroid camera and film ready to go for your guests' favors, you might as well just go ahead and take the plunge for yourself and have a Polaroid Instant photo guest book on hand! Instant photo guest books like the Adesso Album Instant Photo Guest Books® will put your guests to work for you to create an instant memento of your party. Now you'll be able to enjoy your party's memories the instant the party is over and for many years to come. These photo guest books often become the life of the party, especially after a few custom cocktails!

Tip: Assign someone to go around the party, take Polaroid pictures of guests, slide them into the Adesso Photo Guest Book® and then pass it around to have guests write a personal message to you. It's less pressure than being videotaped and far more personal.

#4 Fun Party Activity: Philanthropic Party Donation

It'll make you feel good, and it'll make your guests feel good. Find something you can "sell" to your guests, and donate 100% of the profits to the charity of your choice. It's a win-win-win situation for you, your guests and the charity you select. People will really like "sharing" the good time they're having with others who are less fortunate.

Tip: Make sure that your guests get some value for their contributions. It can be a product offering or something as simple as a gift card, gift certificate or coupon for a popular product or service.

Final Party Activity Tip:

Have cards printed listing your interactive party activities with a checkbox next to them. Provide a way to get the activities checked off as they're completed during the party. Make sure guests know that if they complete all the activities by the end of the party, they are eligible for a grand prize, even if you don't have one! You'll be surprised how competitive your guests can get and how relieved they are to have something to chat about with the person they just met for the first time!

Lesley Mattos, Founder of Adesso Albums helps people all over the world capture their party memories. The Adesso Instant Photo Guest Book is the only guest book alternative that provides an instant memory of any party event in both pictures and words. Get the complete photo guest book kit at: http://www.adessoalbums.com/begin-now-kit-for-polaroids.html

How to Select a Good Videographer

2006-01-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

I know some of you are probably saying to yourselves "I can't afford a videographer, I'll just have my uncle Bill do it for free." Well, actually videography is not as expensive as you might think, and your uncle Bill should be a guest at your wedding having a good time and not having to work. Videography is one of those businesses that has benefited greatly by advances in technology. The equipment has become more readily available, better quality, easier to use, and more adaptable to the wedding environment.

Videography is one of those things that you get what you pay for. On the other hand, you don't have to pay a huge amount to get a great video. I have been a videographer since the old days when Super VHS cameras where the main camera in the industry. At that time the editing decks were also more expensive and more limited in their abilities. Today any good videographer worth his money is using a digital camera and a digital editor. There are a few things to consider when choosing a videographer; Price, Equipment, Choices, and last but certainly not least, personality.

Like I said before price is a big factor in everyone's life, especially when it comes to a big ticket event like a wedding. You have hundreds of expenses, and countless choices as to what stays in and what goes out. Let me tell you that some times some people spend way too much on a photographer, and nothing at all on a videographer. That is not a very good choice. Photography is a very important things to have, don't get me wrong, but if you do some shopping around you can afford both. The beauty of video is that you don't have to rely on your recollection of the event by looking at motionless soundless still shots. You pop in your DVD, and instantly you are back at your wedding day. You can see yourself and your guests laughing and having fun. If any of your relatives are in another country or state and couldn't make it to your wedding, you can send them the entire wedding on DVD instead of picking just a few pictures. We also specialize in making photo montages on DVD or VHS which are also very popular to send to relatives. On one DVD you can put hundreds of digital pictures. If you shop around a little you can find a professional videographer that will create a fantastic video for you at a reasonable price. We have packages starting at $350 and going up from there depending on how much you want done. I will warn you that some videographers think they are Spielberg and will want to charge you $5000. If your budget can accommodate that then that's wonderful, but most people cannot. Most professional Videographers using 3 chip digital cameras as we do, and using computer non-linear editing software as we do, will charge you anywhere between $500 to $1000 for a wedding. Anything above or below that I suggest you give it a second look. If its too cheap then its someone just breaking into the business and you wont be happy with the results, and if its too high then you will probably be over paying.

The next thing you should look at is Equipment. Are they using the latest digital equipment or some dusty old cameras from the disco days and over charging for their work. Believe it or not there are still some Videographers out there using the old VHS cameras and selling themselves for top dollar. It's a case of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). Find out what type of equipment they are using. The standard in the industry today is to use a 3 chip digital DV camera. DV Format is the best and Digital is obviously better then analog. The 3 chip refers to the inside of the camera having 3 separate computer chips that split up the visual spectrum and create a sharper and more vibrant image. For editing non-linear computer editing is the only way to go. Anything else is old and will not give you the most for your money.

Choices comes down to what will this company do for you. With our company for example we have packages that are suited to just about every budget, but since everyone is different we are able to customize each package to suit the needs of the client. With some companies the packages are written in stone and cannot be modified and there are no substitutions.

Personality is an easy one. Talk to the person who is actually going to shoot your wedding. Meet them, ask them questions Do you like them? Can you get along with them? Remember your wedding day is a very stressful day. You want to be surrounded by people whose personalities you can get along with. I believe you need all the professionals at your wedding to be team players. They all need to work together to make your day wonderful, yet get their individual jobs done. You don't want to be pulling out your hair because the person you hired to do a job doesn't know what to do. Hire someone who you feel comfortable with and who has experience. I myself have over 15 years experience as a wedding videographer and I can assure you that I have seen everything there is to see under the sun, and the only way to get through it is to keep a cool head.

In short, I just want to encourage you all to keep the video in your budget. Hire a professional company that is knowledgeable, and is reasonable priced, and that you feel comfortable with, and you will have a great video that you and your future kids and grandkids will enjoy. Be sure to get more information. Best of luck.

Article Courtesy of Frank Stone.

Review of Italian Family Dining

2005-11-12T14:44:00.000-05:00

Here is an Italian cookbook that has recipes that are very different from your basic chicken parmigiana. But are they good? Here is Donna Pilato's review...

The cheapest merchant account

2005-09-01T22:56:00.000-04:00

ATTENTION ONLINE MERCHANTS. MyAffair.com now offers one of the simplest, and most affordable payment processing services on the web. No contracts, no setup, no hassle... just a FLAT 2.89% applied ONLY when customers book you. That's cheaper than PayPal!

The 7 Biggest Mistakes in Special Event Planning - and How to Avoid Them

2004-08-19T22:44:00.000-04:00

Ever hear the expression: "You can never be too rich or too thin?" In the case of special events planning, you can never be too organized.

Events are critical in providing outreach and exposure for an organization, and some can often be an excellent fund- and friend- raising tool. However, it's easy to make a mistake when there are so many details. And those mistakes could cost you your reputation and customers if you're not on top of every detail.

Here are the most common mistakes made - and the solutions - to help avoid such problems:

Mistake #1: Failing to identify meeting objectives. Be sure to know one hundred percent what your management expects from this event. Examples: education, recruiting, awards presentations, new product roll-out, executive installation, etc.

Mistake #2: Failing to budget properly. Many planners make this mistake by overlooking some very costly items. Specifically speaker travel, audio/visual, program handouts, shipping charges, decorations, security, and afternoon breaks. Don't overlook these costs!

Mistake #3: Failing to have a plan. This is probably the most common error that hurts an event. Many planners try to run an event without a plan and detailed checklist - missing important details that could make or break the event. Lighting, seating, room temperature, music, decorations, audio/visual, and location of the bathrooms and telephones are just some of the details that are often forgotten.

Mistake #4: Failing to select the right facility. It's location, location, location! Depending on the locale of your attendees, proximity to the airport, sleeping room costs, freeways, major thoroughfares and traffic patterns are critical. Meeting room location, meeting room size, and parking fees all affect your attendance.

Mistake #5: Failing to work out who should be coming and how to reach them. I can't tell you haw many times I have seen events fail because of this one factor. Secure your entire list before securing your date in writing. Be sure your list has all names, titles, mailing addresses, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. Your attendees can't register if you can't reach them.

Mistake #6: Failing to secure contracts. Here's where you can really run into trouble. Do NOT promote your event without legible, signed contracts for everything including your speaker, facility, and other contractors.

Mistake #7: Failing to market the event properly. Once you've created your marketing plan, stick to it! Once your event is booked it's critical all of your marketing contacts go as planned. Remember to use every means to reach your attendees. One method alone doesn't reach everyone because we are all different.

About the Author: Matt Cherry helps businesses and nonprofit organizations to be heard. He's a marketing communications and event planning expert with more than 10 years experience and the vice president of Cherry Communications. For more tips and tricks - or information, visit Cherry Communications.

Party Planning

2004-08-18T18:28:00.000-04:00

Don't waste your time with phone books and online directories. This party planning site allows you to narrow down your event-service search in seconds.

Partnerships on the rise

2004-07-13T22:54:00.000-04:00

Partnerships are on the rise for MyAffair.com, greatly increasing merchant exposure. The new revAnew (tm) affiliate program allows MyAffair.com merchants to be displayed on sites throughout the web. Partners love the ease of adding searchable listings to their sites, so the partnership network will continue to grow.

Submit event-related articles

2004-07-03T22:52:00.000-04:00

As an event professional, you can easily increase your business exposure by sharing your knowledge with potential customers. Whether they are quick tips, or complete articles on party planning, feel free to broadcast them on our network and establish yourself as an online expert in your field.

Check Event Availability

2004-07-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

MyAffair.com merchants can now have customers check their availability directly from their existing websites. The HTML code is easily added to your site, and this feature will greatly improve the quality of your leads.

Keep your gig calendar updated

2004-07-01T22:53:00.000-04:00

Use the MyAffair.com calendar to manage your online AND offline events so that customers do not contact you for a time-slot where you are already booked. The system will also send you reminders for upcoming events, and helps to boost your merchant rating for more quality leads.

Top event planning sites

2004-06-11T14:53:00.000-04:00

Browse the best event planning sites on the web, or search for event services by date, price, location, and more.

Refreshing Approach Relieves Wedding Stress

2004-02-20T16:02:00.000-05:00

Enjoy your engagement by removing the most stressful elements of wedding planning with www.MyAffair.com. This web site provides a simple and convenient way to plan events, saving weeks of effort.

Thousands of event services can be searched by date, price, location, and more. Such detail produces valuable results and personalizes planning.

"Stop staring at DJ listings online or in a phonebook," says its Chief Executive Officer. "In the time it takes to pick up a phone, MyAffair.com shows you who's available and affordable."

The site provides detailed information not found on wedding sites, making it essential for brides. It offers an innovative way to plan weddings, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and other events.

"Our company has been well-received because we embrace and benefit so many different communities," says the CEO. "MyAffair.com is not just another web site, it actually improves the way we live."

The site goes above helping brides, easing even work-related planning. It has been a resource for producers of the "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" series on the E! Entertainment / Style Network.

Everyday things like helping with a company picnic, meeting a fashion consultant, or knowing the neighborhood rock band, can also earn you money. MyAffair.com pays for referring your friends.

For those on a budget, the site offers no-interest payment plans to pay for vendors. Other helpful tools include browsing vendor reviews, photo samples, audio/video clips, and more.

MyAffair.com's network of services and partners grows every day. This allows for very specific searches including types of music, years of experience, beauty treatments, celebrity impersonations, wedding themes, and more.

Service providers can categorize themselves and establish a complete e-business, free of charge. They can manage their offline gigs, create a web site, instantly accept online payments, and much more.

Register and take advantage of everything MyAffair.com has to offer, in English at www.MyAffair.com, or in Spanish at www.MiEvento.com.

MyAffair.com Completes the Trifecta of Online Wedding Planning

2004-02-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the peak engagement season, MyAffair.com, the web's newest wedding vendor search engine, has hit the Internet. It has been highly ranked by MSN and Google, and has captured the headlines of most other major search engines. MyAffair.com's ability to search wedding vendors by date and price perfectly complement the wedding tips and articles from TheKnot.com, and the multi-store gift registry of WeddingChannel.com. Together, these three sites make wedding planning quick and easy, and wrap up all wedding-day needs.

MyAffair.com allows brides-to-be, or anyone planning an event, to search thousands of services by availability, price, area, and other criteria, delivering results within seconds. It saves time and frustration by linking customers directly to available service providers they can afford.

"Finding event services any other way is a daunting task," said its Chief Operating Officer. "Phone numbers and websites alone are virtually useless without knowing if the merchants can meet your needs. Using MyAffair.com for just a few minutes saves days, if not weeks, of planning."

The site offers other tools as well, including wedding vendor reviews from past customers. For those on a budget, the site allows customers to pay for their services in installments.

MyAffair.com offers a modern and convenient way to plan weddings, anniversary parties, corporate functions, and more. It makes events easier to plan, thus easier to enjoy. MyAffair.com is the final piece of the puzzle in making that special day memorable.

About: MyAffair.com (www.myaffair.com) offers a quick and easy way to search for event services by area, date, price, and other criteria. Users can find, plan, and book any service they need with a few clicks. MyAffair.com categorizes thousands of service providers free of charge, including caterers, DJs, dance instructors, event entertainment, limousines, live music, photographers, poets, reception sites, videographers, wedding planners, and many more. MyAffair.com also operates in Spanish, as MiEvento.com.

Revolutionized Wedding Planning

2004-02-07T14:32:00.000-05:00

MyAffair.com, the wedding vendor search and event planners who have revolutionized wedding planning, hit the search engines running.

MyAffair.com, the USA's newest search service for event, wedding, and party management, hit the Internet this week with its website grabbing the headlines of most major household named search engines, obtaining some of the most coveted spots on the largest and most popular named net sites.

With a uniqueness which leaves its competitors trailing, you can find all of the services you need, with the capability of analyzing instantly in 'real-time' both price and availability with just a few clicks. MyAffair.com can search thousands of event planning professionals in just seconds, and now a leading player in its market, they come from obscurity in the Internet world to one of the highest ranked websites in their field. MyAffair.com looks to cover every market and every location and looks forward to you visiting today.

The site, a highly innovative and quality presentation, designed to accommodate any and all your event planning requirements, now has a higher profile image on the World Wide Web to match its online service offering.

Global players including MSN (the leading Microsoft search engine) and HotBot (part of the Lycos network) found themselves with the site ranked on their first page of result listings just a few days ago, showing that the site is now up 'with the big boys'.

Taking the time, pain and frustration of manually scouring phone directories and different websites, MyAffair.com with its "Find it... Plan it... Book It!" slogan can wrap up your needs within minutes.

With its increased online status, it now welcomes all of its new visitors to its website, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For further information on how MyAffair.com can assist you, please visit the site's exciting line up of services at MyAffair.com today.

Engaged, Now What?

2004-02-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

Three websites make wedding planning quick and easy.

Recently gotten engaged and now the excitement, or should I say anxiety of planning a wedding has kicked in? Three sites with unique services can help any bride to-be plan a wedding with ease, so that their focus can remain on the details that make weddings memorable.

INFORMATION & TOOLS

TheKnot.com is an excellent resource for brides and grooms to-be with useful articles and tips on picking flowers, planning dinner parties, selecting a cake, how to pick diamonds, and much more. Useful tools such as a wedding checklist, guest list management, and wedding notebook, ease the planning process of the wedding.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

The most daunting task of wedding planning is finding the right services. Although many sites list service providers (i.e. caterers, DJs, videographers), brides-to-be quickly find out that this information is virtually useless. Categorizing services by area, or displaying dollar-sign symbols do not provide a realistic sense about wedding services. MyAffair.com has found an intelligent way to simplify this task.

On MyAffair.com, wedding services can be found by availability, price, and area. Users can find and compare wedding vendors available for their date, and in their price range, in seconds. MyAffair.com saves everyone time by linking customers directly to the service providers that they can afford. It also allows for easy negotiations, and even allows customers to pay for their services in installments.

GIFT REGISTRY

WeddingChannel.com adds the final touch to planning any wedding day, by having an online gift registry that allows brides and grooms to register gifts from various stores. The site also provides tips to help with health and fitness for brides, advice on hiring service providers, and other useful articles.

The use of TheKnot.com, MyAffair.com, and WeddingChannel.com wrap up all wedding day needs. Without these great sites, a special day can easily turn into a nightmare.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patty Sheffield has been a corporate event planner since 1997. She uses the Internet to assist her in finding caterers, DJs, event music, limousines, and many other event services for her clients.

On The Web

2004-01-13T09:51:00.000-05:00

by Bob Suter of Newsday: The new year brings a new calendar sprinkled with special events - anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, etc. It also brings a new site that aims to eliminate much of the legwork involved in assembling the elements needed for a special occasion. Utilizing the MyAffair.com search screen, you fill in the ZIP code, date and time of your event. Then, from a series of pulldown menus, you indicate the event, service you require (band, bartender, hall rental, photographer, etc.) and amount you'd like to spend. The site searches its database of entries and returns a list of those in your geographic area most closely meeting your criteria. Listings include pricing and contact information and are often accompanied by a photo. A trial query seeking a band to perform at a wedding produced musical options including a salsa band, a harpist and a duo playing classical and jazz/contemporary music, the latter offering MP3 samples of their performances. Those providing services can list with the site free of charge.

MyAffair.com Leads the Way to Modern Event-Planning

2004-01-01T22:52:00.000-05:00

New approach for anyone planning an event, allowing them to search by date and price to compare and book all the services they need.

Planning an event can be extremely time-consuming and frustrating. Finding services that are available when you want, and for the price you need, can take weeks. MyAffair.com is a new company that has rewritten the rules of event-planning. No longer do we need to rely on the yellow pages, online directories, or the minimal referrals of friends and family. Many times, the phone numbers found are simply outdated, they lead to unavailable merchants, or merchants out of our price range. MyAffair.com allows anyone to find the services they need, and compare the availability and prices on just one website. You can search thousands of merchants from across the United States in a few seconds. This comprehensive search was built specifically for event-planners, and nothing like it exists anywhere else. Everyone can now visit www.MyAffair.com to easily find, compare, and book the services they need without inconveniences.

MyAffair.com has also created many new job opportunities. As most service-providers are very much aware of, the current state of our economy forces many of us to rely on multiple sources of income. Not only can you expand your existing business with MyAffair.com, but the site's powerful tools also allow virtually anyone to quickly get a new business up and running within minutes. It increases business exposure by providing free websites, and offers great tools to fully enable any business with useful technology. "The free services on MyAffair.com don't exist anywhere else, and have greatly enhanced my business," proclaims Jon Eshelman from Los Rumberos Nuevos (a local band). He then adds, "customers find us in seconds... I am so glad I was referred to the site!" MyAffair.com pays anyone to refer event-planners and service-providers, allowing your weekend hobby (or even knowing people with hobbies) to get you that much needed second paycheck.

MyAffair.com makes events easier to plan, and easier to enjoy. It is one of the few great innovations that actually makes our lives simpler. Visit MyAffair.com and plan your next event today!

Request new services

2003-03-05T22:49:00.000-05:00

MyAffair.com was built around the concerns of service-providers like yourself, who helped to create the extensive site. We still need your help expanding though, so please contact us if you would like us to add a service that is not found on the site. New services are usually listed within 48 hours.

PayPal payments and direct-deposit

2003-03-04T22:48:00.000-05:00

MyAffair.com is now enabled for PayPal! Customers can not only PAY for your services using their PayPal account, but you can also RECEIVE payments directly deposited to your bank account.

Merchant Banner Network / Web-Ring

2003-03-03T22:46:00.000-05:00

MyAffair.com gives every searchable merchant one free submission to the banner network. You can promote your existing website or your MyAffair.com listing with a banner or text-link that will displayed on MyAffair.com and countless other merchant websites. This is yet another great way to market your business and drive traffic to your site.

Increase your "Link Popularity"

2003-03-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

For those of you that already have your own websites, MyAffair.com offers a link back to your site, to increase the number of sites pointed to you (or "Link Popularity"). As you may already know, this popularity is critical to ranking highly on search-engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

Promote your web site

2003-03-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

Enhance your MyAffair.com listing with your existing website! Have your business stand out from the rest with the EZ-Listing service, and inject some energy into your current site with all the great features of MyAffair.com (including online booking and Instant-Payment).

FREE Instant-Payment

2002-07-06T22:42:00.000-04:00

You can now accept online payments AT ANY TIME with MyAffair.com's new "Instant-Payment" feature. Use this feature for your offline customers, or any other transaction!