Event Planning Tips Archives - Infinity Hospitality

Expert Tips for Safely Planning Your Corporate Event

Infinity Hospitality — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 02:00:21 +0000

TAKING PRECAUTIONS

How to keep your guests safe and comfortable

As we continue to navigate uncertain times during the global coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to share several ways to hold a corporate event while keeping the safety and health of your guests at the forefront.

From how to serve your food to creating sanitation stations, read five of our favorite tips below!

Set Guidelines

First and foremost, set some guidelines ahead of your event. Will masks be required? Will social distancing be enforced? Will proof of vaccination or a negative test be required? Decide what kinds of policies you want in place, if any, and make sure your employees and guests know beforehand so they can come prepared.

“Social bracelets” have been a popular way for attendees to share how comfortable they are with contact. You could set out color-coded options at the entrance of your event and ask each guest to take one. The most common colors are green (good to go), yellow (feeling cautious), and red (no contact).

Sanitize

You can’t go wrong with a couple sanitization stations—two or three small tables around your event with hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial wipes, disposable masks, or anything else you think guests might want or need.

Put hand sanitizer on the corner of bars, food service tables, or anywhere else people might be reaching for something. Noticeable signage for bathrooms and hand-washing is a must!

Solo Meals & Drinks

As much as we love a good buffet or self-serve beverage stations, sharing isn’t always caring— at least not these days! If you plan to include food and drinks at your event, there are a few ways to keep things safe and keep everybody’s hands out of the way.

For appetizers, go for single-serve options instead of large table spreads or interactive stations. For dinner, forgo the buffet and plan for a plated or seated meal. Have your heart set on stations? Chef-manned stations will be your best bet. This prevents multiple people from touching the same utensils throughout the event. And for drinks, opt for serving them from the bar instead of any self-serve stations.

Say No to Handouts

Corporate events usually include some kind of handout, whether it’s a gift, freebie, or simply a program outlining the event’s timeline. However, with safety top of mind, it’s best to keep these things digital right now.

For event programs and information, set up a QR code and put small signs around your event for them to scan with their phones and receive the documents they need.

As for gifts, there are more digital options than you think! From e-gift cards, coupons, and free trials, there is something out there that will fit your brand and still excite your attendees. And those who opt to stay at home can be a part of the fun, too!

Go Digital

Have some employees or guests who are hesitant to attend or not ready to travel? Add a digital element to your event to keep them engaged. Nashville Lighting & Production can handle any audio, visual, and digital technology you may need. From a planned Zoom conference call or livestream of the event, there are several ways guests from far and wide can be included. This way, they’ll be able to enjoy any speeches, seminars, or live music from the comfort of their homes.

Photos by Sara Bill, Details Nashville, and Joe & Jen Photography

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Employee Spotlight: Kacey Greer

Infinity Hospitality — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 16:41:37 +0000

A Q&A WITH KACEY GREER

EVENT COORDINATOR WITH IH

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, event coordinator Kacey simply fell in love with the South, and who can blame her?

While attending the University of Kentucky where she studied hospitality management and tourism, she quickly found her passion for event planning and fell in love with the creativity of the industry.

"When I started hunting for summer internships in college, I found Infinity," Kacey explained. "After my internship at Infinity, I fell in love with the city and knew I wanted to move after graduation."

In her free time, she's always up for a new destination, specifically the beach. "I grew up spending my summer on Lake Michigan," Kacey told us. "So I've always loved being on the water."

But when she's not traveling, she likes to spend her time exploring East Nashville, taking long walks at Shelby Park, and trying out new brunch spots. Us, too!

From intern to coordinator, read on to learn more about Kacey for July's Employee Spotlight.

What got you into event planning?

I started as a nursing major in college and quickly realized that it was not the right path for me. Growing up, I always had an eye for design and was super organized. When I was deciding to change majors, I came across hospitality management and tourism and it just clicked.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I draw a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, as well as trending interior design aspects.

I love to decorate and redecorate inside my home, and designing events goes hand in hand!

How do you stay on top of everything? Any organizational tips or tricks?

I love a to-do list! It helps me stay on top of my day-to-day tasks, as well as my tasks for the week. Striking things off of a list makes me feel accomplished.

I also love setting deadlines and keeping track of time. I often will start a task and set a timer, so I ensure the task is completed in that amount of time.

What themes or unique details have been your favorite from one of your events?

I had a wedding in February, and they tied in a lot of origami aspects to their big day. They added origami to their escort card table and had origami hanging behind their head table.

It was a great way for the bride to tie in her origin and added a personal touch to their wedding.

If you could give one piece of advice to couples planning a wedding what would it be?

My biggest piece of advice to a couple is two things. First, if you have questions, ask! It's always best to ask rather than assume you know the answer. There are no dumb questions when it comes to planning an event, and your event team is always here to help.

Second, take advantage of your event team. We are here to take the stress away from planning, and we genuinely want to handle everything so you don't have to. It's our job!

What are some of the challenges you face when planning an event?

The most challenging part when planning an event is all the different voices involved in the planning process. Everyone always has different opinions, but at the end of the day the clients' opinions are what matters most. We want to give them the day they have wished for.

As an event team, we overcome these challenges by making suggestions to the client and outside parties that can tie each of their wishes together.

What is one of your favorite memories from one of your events?

One of my favorite memories was from my first wedding. One of the grooms was Vietnamese. For the ceremony, they had TVs with the entire ceremony script translated into Vietnamese, as no one in his family spoke English. I thought it was so cool to see two cultures come together to celebrate something all cultures have in common — love!

They also did a traditional Vietnamese Tea Ceremony right before they tied the knot.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

My absolute favorite part of my job is the creative freedom that we have and seeing clients' visions come to life. Clients are always excited during the design process, but it's a different story when everything comes together on the day of the event.

Click below to see more by Kacey Greer:

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Planning the Perfect Rehearsal Dinner in Downtown Nashville

Infinity Hospitality — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 21:09:57 +0000

BEFORE THEY WED

PLANNING THE PERFECT REHEARSAL DINNER

You've spent months planning the big day, but don't overlook the details of the days leading up to it. Set the tone of your wedding weekend with a stylish rehearsal dinner and welcome reception.

Held the night before the wedding, this is the perfect opportunity for family and friends to gather in a not-so-hectic setting. It's typically a more relaxed evening full of excitement and anticipation.

Traditionally planned by the groom's family, it's becoming more common for either both sets of parents to share the responsibility or for couples to step in themselves.

Follow our five tips when planning the perfect rehearsal dinner!

1. Pick a unique venue.

Don't feel obligated to go the restaurant route. Especially if you're going traditional with your wedding the following day, the rehearsal dinner is a great opportunity to get creative. We love to impress out-of-town guests and ensure they have a true Nashville experience. Picking a venue that showcases the city and its unique history is a great way to introduce your guests to Nashville.

Betsy + David spoiled their guests at their elegant rehearsal dinner with an unparalleled view of Music City at The Bridge Building.

Photos by Melanie Grady & SheHeWe

2. Keep it casual.

You don't want your rehearsal dinner to outshine the wedding. Incorporate your style, but keep it casual. From the attire to the speeches, a more casual rehearsal dinner will encourage mixing and mingling and ensure everyone is comfortable, especially those who may be meeting for the first time.

Photo by Eden Ingle Photo

3. Choose a fun theme.

Whether it's inspired by a location, a color palette or one or your passions, incorporating a theme is a fun way to kick off the wedding weekend.

This sweet couple moved to Italy after their nuptials, so they began their wedding weekend with an Italian-inspired rehearsal dinner at The Quarter. Printed linens, Italian sodas, and fun centerpieces brought this theme to life.

Photos by Sara Bill Photography

4. Think about the food.

Let the food shine! It can either complement your wedding day menu or it can be completely different, so get creative with it! If you're opting for a formal plated dinner on the wedding day, give your guests a taste of Nashville for the rehearsal with a fun build-your-own BBQ station.

Lindsay + Brian's Southern-inspired menu included baby back ribs and buttermilk fried chicken, plus hot chicken sliders as a late night bite.

Photos by Sara Bill Photography

5. Plan some icebreaker activities.

The rehearsal dinner is a great time to introduce close family and friends to each other who may not have met yet. Whether it's board games, casino games, or cornhole, there's nothing like a game night to keep spirits high and ensure everyone feels part of the group.

Photos by SheHeWe & Caley Newberry

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