Tradition is what happens when we develop a strong bond with the positive and worthwhile experiences of the past. Lovers of everything harmonious, colorful and natural are inevitably attracted to locations that funny enough, are "traditional" locations imbued with exactly that which nature loving enthusiasts look for. And it's here, in a step by step guide to a Mississippi riverboat red carpet reception. Corporate event scouts or marketing assistants are entrusted with securing sales meeting locations where the team can gather for acknowledgements, encouragements, and important announcements. The mighty Mississippi is famous all over the world, and the vivid atmosphere of the thriving transient town known as the Big Easy is allure enough. It's been psychologically proven that sense association triggers a pleasurable response in our human brain. Imagine therefore a corporate event, be it a sales meeting, a product launch, distributor appointment, or an industry conference, including a Mississippi riverboat red carpet reception in its agenda! It will make the attendees happy, and dare we say, loyal?
Planning is key to everything. Have we said this before? It can't be stressed enough. For your health, plan ahead. CeremonialSupplies.com is here to help with the execution of your plan. Our ceremonial red carpets, which are in fact available in several other colors- all equally worthy of the gods and goddesses of sales and marketing, such colors as the deep, elegant and almost slightly subdued midnight blue hue of our deluxe blue carpet runner, or the bright luminous emerald green carpet, as well as other essential color runners in black, purple, royal blue, and pink. Let us daydream about the carpet as you organize names, contact numbers, emails, all forms of general identification and put your first, good list of guests together for the host hotel. Trust us on this, you will save yourself (not to mention the hotel) lots of grief. Of course, keep it updated. A simple, excel worksheet list is good for updates. Create a list of the hotels you'd like to check out in the area, and a list of the main historical attractions. We are learning creatures and everyone likes to learn new things. Make a list of places that are within walking distance from the hotels. Dates are important - pick the conference dates. If your budget is fairly open, book your Mississippi conference during spring or fall. If you have a Cinderella budget then book in July when hotel rooms are half the price, but remember, humidity will be 100%.
First Step - Contact the Local Representative
Make sure you're not acting alone from your ivory tower. It can lead to embarrassing situations so always err on the side of caution. Even if you can pick up the phone and contact the hotels in the Downtown District, or the Garden District, and the French Quarter (It's a relatively small area) and based on the number of total guests (as per that list you're keeping), negotiate accommodations for the team, senior management, and for the big guys coming from the financial district of the world, it will be best if you involve the local representative in the area where you are planning the conference. In this case, contact your company representative in Louisiana, or Mississippi if there's one. This is how you maximize opportunities. Involve the local company representative in the planning stage. Work with this person when negotiating with hotels for room block and at least one hotel catered event. This is the time to plan and decorate, for a hospitality suite for people to gather, mingle, lounge, use the computer, phone, etc. Customized banners, and personalized ribbons in a variety of sizes is a time tested practice that works best for tying together a room decor and personalized ribbons can dress up a table, or can be hung from the center of the ceiling outward toward the walls and drape down. There are many ways to use personalized banner and customized ribbons to decorate a hospitality suite. The hotel(s) will also be able to put you in touch with their in-house activities director (party planner) to organize different outings or activities. There's so much to pick from! A gospel choir reception and dinner at Oak Alley Plantation (the setting for the film Interview With A Vampire), a St. Charles streetcar tour from the French Quarter to Commander's Palace, or even an alligator swamp tour!
Putting Together The Conference Agenda
An "Agenda" is a list of ALL activities that will take place, and where. For example, Day 1 of the conference you've scheduled a Welcome Breakfast on the rooftop poolside of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in the French Quarter, which of course, you will have decorated appropriately, perhaps with welcoming balloons, vertical freestanding signs featuring the company logo or a product, and customized ribbons. Followed by a product presentations that will be made to the sales team in one of the meeting rooms. The proper way to list this in an Agenda is by including all the details, time, name of location, and who's the lead person for each event, so that everyone knows exactly what is going on, and where. Phone calendars are great, apps are fabulous, but make sure you have a hard copy paper agenda emailed to everyone at least 2 weeks ahead of time, and have another hard copy ready for each participant upon arrival - either in the room with a souvenir gift, or upon checking in or registration. Everything is included in the agenda - breakfast time, meeting time, break time, end time, what time to meet at the lobby for outside activities, until what time are the hotel doors open, and what to do after hours?
Organizing A Special Night Aboard A Mississippi Riverboat!
The entire team has now been checked in and all the conference attendees are present. This is the day for the special activity, or event - before anybody has to break away after their presentation. For this special night you've arranged for a 2-hour Mississippi River cruise aboard the Natchez, named after the city in Mississippi, cruising out of New Orleans. How will you get the team from the hotel to the dock? It's relatively within walking distance but you want to awe your guests, and make them feel important, so how about arranging for horse and carriage rides? These are all over the French Quarter and it doesn't take much to have them parade in front of the hotel at a specified time when you've asked the guests to meet at the lobby. Off you go toward the docks! Passing by Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Cafe du Monde, Pirate's Alley and all the historical spots along the way to the docks, this gives your guests a chance to take in the French Quarter.
As your first four guests step down from the carriage and arrive at the dock behind Cafe du Monde, they step onto a plush red carpet from CeremonialSupplies.com, and smile for the photographer as they walk the 6' wide by 30' long event carpet runner. Next to the plank you've set up a step and repeat banner customized with your company logo and the motto you've chosen for the event, and the first group approaches for photos, after which they are guided by hitching post style stanchions (specifically designed for outdoor use) into the Natchez, where everyone will eventually gather at the front of the boat for refreshments and finger foods. As your guests arrive, you've given enough time between each group of four so that there's no bottlenecking by the official photo on the step and repeat, although you certainly will have guests on the red carpet watching others arrive.
When everyone is onboard and the Natchez sets out on a dinner and jazz cruise, you will look at the setting contentedly and enjoy the rest of the evening with your guests. You got all your supplies from CeremonialSupplies.com, everything from the red event carpet runner, stanchions, step and repeat banner, personalized oversized ribbons to dress the room and tables, to the recognition plaques that will be given out to the team. You can be sure that every one of your guests will feel special, and will not only enjoy the event that you've organized for them, but will remember it for years to come. With detailed organization and CeremonialSupplies.com you can organize red carpet events, conferences and meetings, and be assured that you're working with the best online store on the web for high quality materials at budget friendly prices, attentive and knowledgeable customer service, and you will receive prompt and efficient shipping wherever you are in Louisiana, Mississippi, or anywhere else in the world! Click here for a shipping quote.