Company Retreats (As published in The Pillars,LLC)

In these tough economic times, many companies are cutting corners and one of the first corners cut seems to be annual retreats. Instead of canceling the team building and critical planning that annual retreats foster, consider hosting your annual corporate retreat closer to home. One such location that caters to business travelers is Haywood County, North Carolina. You can drive to Haywood County in around five hours, approximately the same driving distance as a trip to the Gulf Coast.

Companies can count on numerous options for team building exercises, including horseback riding, white water rafting, fly fishing and hiking. Cataloochee Ranch offers guided group horse riding tours and team building exercises with mile high views of the surrounding Smoky Mountains. The ranch also offers guided hiking and lodging for up to sixty-five guests, with breakfast and dinner included. Fly fishing can be scheduled through your concierge or directly with the Waynesville Fly Shop, which provides equipment, training and guides so even first time fly fishers have the full experience.

Small groups should consider lodging at Andon Reid, an award winning bed and breakfast with five impeccable guest rooms and breathtaking views of the mountains. What sets Andon Reid apart for the business traveler is their full gym and personal trainer on staff. Hourly rates for the personal trainer are available upon request but the full gym, which includes a sauna, is available for all guests. Andon Reid also provides free WiFi, concierge service, and fax and copy machines. Another perk is Andon Reid's four course, made from scratch breakfast. If you're thinking a four course breakfast sounds too heavy for a full business day, think again. Andon Reid caters to special diets, including vegan and gluten free; and their vegan artichoke cakes are simply out of this world. If you prefer even lighter fare, Andon Reid will oblige with a smaller breakfast or even a breakfast to go. Moreover, Andon Reid's owner, personal trainer and chef, Rachel, will provide you the recipe for any dish of which you are particularly fond.

Larger groups can be accommodated at Maggie Valley's Boyd Log Cabins, home to seven authentic log cabins, each dating back 150 to 200 years. The Boyd Log Cabins offer the authenticity of centuries' old cabins - with all the amenities a modern traveler requires, including televisions, full kitchens, updated bathrooms and WiFi in certain areas. The 130 acre property, nestled into a cove overlooking the Smoky Mountains, doubles as a Christmas tree farm and offers stocked fishing ponds. Each of the seven cabins has a unique and beautiful view and are just minutes from downtown Waynesville, Asheville or the activities at Cataloochee Ranch.

If your retreat includes a free day, attendees can shop the local stores in downtown Waynesville or visit nearby Asheville or Highlands, North Carolina. Asheville, home to the Biltmore and a burgeoning organic/locavore food scene, and Highlands, an area that has established itself as a second home to many Birminghamians, are both a short drive from any of Haywood County's accommodations.

The bottom line is simply, whatever your company's bottom line this year, Birmingham is fortunate to be near numerous excellent options for business retreats. Therefore, before you make the decision to cancel the company retreat altogether, consider nearby options including mountainous Haywood County.

As seen in the online magazine, The Pillars, LLC http://www.thepillarsllc.com

Event Marketing

Today's post is targeted to business owners and corporate managers. Perhaps some of you have incorporated event marketing into your marketing plans in the past. For some of you, this may be a totally new concept. Either way, I'd just like to explain what event marketing can include and how it can round out your marketing efforts.

First of all, if you have a brand new product or service, there is no better way to introduce it to your market than actually showing it to your clients and prospective clients. If you are launching a new product line, put that product to work, demonstrating how it can help those business owners better meet the needs of THEIR clients. For example, if you have developed new software for the restaurant industry, invite all the local restaurateurs to your office space for a free catered breakfast or coffee break. Have several stations with your software hooked up on laptops so these interested people can actually have a hands-on demo assisted by a trained tech. This is your opportunity to sell them on why your product is the latest technology available, and how you can adapt it to fit their situation.

If you've just moved into a new location, or renovated your old one, let everyone know it. Send e-mail blasts, use all the available social media to notify the world that this change has occurred. But more importantly, with these notices, invite everyone to see your new place and how it is designed to better serve your clients or customers. Designate a date and time to have your "open house" and be ready to show off your new digs.

These are just a couple of ways you can use event marketing to create and/or build your business . You can't expect to build it and have people come. You've got to create interest, demonstrate the effectiveness of this new product or location, and let the world see, hear and touch it. The only way to do this is to bring people TO the product or location, not take it to THEM.

One of your most important markets is your staff. You may have one employee or one hundred. Whatever the situation, employee events are the most overlooked opportunities for a company to let the people who are the bones of the operation know how valuable they are. Whether it be a company picnic, a holiday party or employee incentives, everyone likes to be rewarded and recognized. Your client relations are definitely important, but don't forget your employees. They are the voice of your business.

All this being said, any business can profit from event marketing, whether you are a service related business or a product related business; whether you are focusing on clients, prospective clients or employees Let's sit down and discuss the event that can create public awareness and create a buzz about your business.

Don't Rain On My Parade

Jenny and Mike will remain one of my favorite couples. Jenny was a delight from day one. I actually met her mother first since Jenny lived in St. Louis and was planning her wedding long distance. When we finally met face-to-face for the first time, it was just as though we were old friends reuniting. And, with Jenny, there's never a dull moment -- a sense of humor and positive attitude that brightened up my day every time I saw her.

When I met Mike, I could see the attraction. Studying for his doctorate in St. Louis, I expected to have to put on my intellectual face and get on his level. NOT!! He was one of the kindest, down-to-earth, most gentle giants I've ever known. It was obvious he adored Jenny; ready to do whatever it took to make her wedding day perfect for her.

Needles to say, coordinating their wedding was delightful. The ceremony and a portion of the reception were planned for outdoors, and as time got closer the weather was not looking real cooperative. Those afternoon June showers were quite predictable and on time just about every day. We made the decision to have a tent over the ceremony area, rain or shine. It was looking pretty positive, but late afternoon, we stood up on Red Mountain and watched the storm clouds roll in after the band, caterer and florist had been given the go ahead to set up in the outdoor areas.

The storm came. . . and went . . . and came. With minimal damage, the ceremony was ready to begin. The guests had been seated under the tent, the musician was playing, and the heavens opened up, again. There was much hustling around among the guests to stay dry in the blowing rain, and the attendants were able to get under cover and down the aisle.

But, the beauty of the entire evening occurred just as the bride and her father started down the aisle to the tent. The rain stopped, the sun came out and she never felt a drop. She was indeed the star of the show; it was perfect! The ceremony continued, they kissed and the party began--with many of the guests never going inside except for food. The band kept everyone on their feet and it was an evening to be remembered by many people for a long, long time.

May the sun continue to shine on their new life together!!

Vendor Gratuities

The age-old wedding question: Which vendors should I tip, and how much?

Tips, or gratuities, for your vendors is entirely optional. If you can allow for this in your budget once all your contracts are signed and you have a good handle on actual costs, that is great. No wedding professional enters into a wedding contract with the mindset: "well, I'll get a bonus, so I'll cut back on my fees some." That is the least professional thing he or she can do. So, it is up to you as the bride to make this call.

When you give a photographer or caterer an extra percentage at the end of the day, you are saying that you appreciated all the hard work and extra effort that he or she put forth -- for going that extra mile. It says "hey, I loved what you did and will more than likely refer you to my friends and family if I have the opportunity." They get the message loud and clear. That's not to say, on the other hand, that if there is no bonus, you are unhappy with their services. A sincere note or email after the wedding goes a long way also. A small gift also means a lot.

In my case, being the wedding coordinator, the decision may not be as easy sometimes. I had a bride's mother tell me once, after giving me a lovely gift with a beautiful thank-you note, that she felt she might insult me by giving me a cash bonus. Of course, I lovingly took the gift, and never thought any more about it. But, don't be afraid of insulting your wedding coordinator by offering extra cash. I'll bet she will not turn it down.

Now, the other question. How much? Again, this is your call, but my suggestion is that in most cases, 20% is perfect. If your budget doesn't allow that much, 10% is appreciated also. For the most part, just use your common sense, put yourself in their shoes, then decide.