Corporate Event Planning: Not Just a Party Job

Details, Preparation, and having a Clear Idea are Key

People skills, a passion for excellence, and the ability to commit long hours are among the many requirements for effective event planners. Rosalba Ugliuzza has an excellent article on Business Weekly highlighting several aspects of what a quality event planner does.

Coast to Coast Conferences & Events brings you strategic, cost-efficient, end-to-end event and conference planning. We offer the latest in innovative event technologies, detailed logistics management, destination services, and hotel housing solutions. If your organization could use the ultimate in professional planning and management for your next event, reach out to us today!

https://ctcconferences.com/contact/

No Need to Phone Home, the Party’s Here

Spielberg attends Longines Masters LA

Famed movie director and producer Steven Spielberg was recently spotted at the Longines Masters Equestrian Event in Los Angeles. Pictured here with his wife Kate and daughter Destry (a rider herself), the Spielberg clan were among over 10,000 equestrian enthusiasts in attendance.

Managed by Coast to Coast Conferences and Events, our team was responsible for VIP & sponsorship deliverables, online registration & ticketing, travel & accommodations, staffing of security & hostesses as well as coordination of volunteers, and so much more that goes into hosting this kind of event.

Let us help you to make your next meeting a smashing success, check out our about us page for more info and to get in touch! https://ctcconferences.com/coast-to-coast/

Seven Reasons to Hire a Professional Event Planner

Why the DIY Approach May Not Work So Well

While it may at first seem like a possible option to plan your next big meeting in-house, there are many things that you might miss if you try to take it all on yourself. Check out these 7 reasons why hiring an experienced event planner can make all the difference for your organization:

http://www.gavelintl.com/seven-reasons-hire-professional-event-planner/.

At Coast to Coast, we have many years of experience in all areas of event planning including housing solutions, conference and meeting management, event and destination services, and technology solutions. Reach out today, one of our many trained planners are here to help!

https://ctcconferences.com/contact/

Fancy to See You Here

Equestrian Enthusiast Iggy Azalea Attends Longines Masters in LA

Rapper Iggy Azalea was one of many celebrities seen recently at the Longines Masters equestrian event, planned from start to finish by Coast to Coast Conferences & Events. A rider herself, she has credited horses with saving her life and helping her to gain her confidence back. So, it was only natural that she would appear at one of the world’s leading equestrian events.

Featuring Olympic and World Champion riders and over 200 horses from 12 countries, this top-ranked jumping competition took place over 4 days with around 10,000 event goers attending. Over 2,712 hours went into pre-planning and on-site management for our planners of this event.

From housing solutions, conference and meeting management, to event and destination services and technology solutions, we can help coordinate all aspects of your next successful gathering. Contact us today so we can answer any questions you have and get you started toward having your best event ever! https://ctcconferences.com/contact/

Introducing Mike! Our New Event Director & Head of Growth

We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of the CTC Family, Mike Shaknovich! Mike joined the company in late March 2017 to further develop their growing portfolio of regional and national accounts as well as lead client events. He brings with him an extensive background in music festivals and large-scale event production. Mike has worn many hats in the industry from building stages, buying talent and developing strategic partnerships.

Mike joins CTC as the Event Director & Head of Growth to continue CTC’s recent success providing event planning and management services to many of the top companies around the nation. Mike comments “I am excited to dive into the amazing events CTC works on and get to know the clients we support. I have known the team at CTC for some time now and am fortunate to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on customer service and always finding success.”

Our owner, Michelle, said “Mike’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge has already made him a key addition to the CTC family. We strategically selected Mike and his skill-set to continue our commitment to being the leading company in our industry. We are thrilled that we were able to find someone of Mike’s caliber to fulfill this role. I’m confident that he will play a key role in furthering the success of our business as well as the success of our clients.”

Interested in learning more about how CTC can assist with your next large-scale event or music festival? Shoot Mike a message today at mike@ctcconferences.com!

We’re Hiring! Join the Awesome Team at CTC

Interested in joining the awesome team at Coast To Coast? Check out our available positions below!

Event Director & Head of Growth

Do you have an entrepreneurial mindset and a desire to take an exciting event planning business to the next level? If you are eager to make an impact and create success, you may be the unicorn we are looking for!

Our Event Director and Head of Growth position will require the candidate to take ownership of company projects including the new Executive Network program, bring innovative ideas for growing the business, and execute client work flawlessly. By collaborating directly with the CEO, you’ll have a real impact on bringing the business to its full potential.

Coast To Coast Conferences & Events in Long Beach, CA is in search of an experienced event manager with a knack for growing small businesses. The perfect fit for our role is a highly-motivated event manager who is comfortable taking full responsibility for completing all client work and also driving business growth quickly. If you’re experienced in B2B service sales and executing events like a pro, we want you!

What We Do:

CTC is a full-service conference and event planning company that manages any and all areas of events ranging from 100-10,000+ attendees. Additionally, we work with multiple clients on sourcing, negotiating and managing hotel room blocks. To learn more, visit www.ctcconferences.com.

What You’ll Do:

  • Increase sales and crush company sales goals within the first 6 months
  • Implement, recruit contractors, and refine CTC’s new Executive Network program focusing on hiring contract planners within the first four months of employment
  • Take ownership of CTC’s marketing and sales efforts, create realistic sales forecasts, and ensure ROI
  • Own and manage all client work, including event management and full execution
  • Attend at least 2 networking events per month to generate sales leads

CTC has been in the event business for over 20 years! Our team runs lean but we are mighty and proud of our work. This full-time salary-based role is located in the CTC offices in Downtown Long Beach, CA.

  • Tell us about your B2B sales experience and give an example of a time you found and closed a new client and what challenges you faced during the deal.
  • Tell us about your most successful event, including the problems you faced along the way and how you proactively resolved these issues.

To apply, please send resume, cover letter answering the two questions above, and salary requirements to Kelly@ctcconferences.com.

Passkey Contractor

We’re looking for a Passkey expert who is well versed in setting up Passkey websites for new events and adding all details for the hotels and inventory. Email michelle@ctcconferences.com with a summary of your Passkey experience and the typical setup fee you charge to be considered.

Partnering for Success in the Event Planning Industry

The event industry is growing rapidly and ever-changing, but the old adage “there is power in numbers” still rings true in our industry today. Throughout my many years, in both the hotel and event industries, it has concerned me that many of the independent planners/companies that I’ve met along the way have closed their doors almost as quickly as they opened them.

Then, I had a REVELATION!

To succeed as an independent event planner there are 3 strong skill sets that are essential to being successful;

  • Sound Business Infrastructure – it is essential to establish and protect your company and your clients through relevant business licenses and insurance, legal contracts, workers compensation, bonding, and… the list goes on. It’s simply not affordable for most.
  • Great at Sales – the pipeline constantly needs to be refilled with new business opportunities. While you are busy working on an event who is selling your services? When you finally come up for air, your pipeline is empty!
  • Great at Execution – execution takes an analytical mindset and attention to detail. The “devil is in the details” couldn’t be more true!

But these 3 skill sets are not always compatible with each other. It can be too expensive for contractors and small companies to build the infrastructure needed. Sales folks often want to close the deal and go on to the next sale. And the people great at execution often don’t have the sales skills and patience to spend months courting potential clients.

So, I decided to find an innovative solution that works for everyone.

At CTC, we have the sound business infrastructure, an experienced executive level team, and the resources needed to succeed in this world. And we want you to partner with us!

Perhaps you’re looking for more work while you grow your own business or perhaps you don’t want the stress of becoming a small business owner and want to work as a contractor on projects that fit your skill set. Either way, we’re happy to have you.

  • Referral Partners –  this is for folks that come across a company or organization that is in need of event planning services. All that is needed from you is an introduction and the CTC team will take it from there. When the referral signs on the dotted line, CTC will send you a check for the referral. Easy money!
  • Business Development Managers – these are folks that want to earn a living in the industry selling events and/or housing services. We will invest time in you to teach you our business and we’ll be your support system. You can choose to sell a service and turn it over to the CTC planning team to manage or you can sell a service and manage it yourself using CTC’s technologies and systems. BDM’s will be paid a commission fee.
  • Contract Event Planners – these folks are experienced event planners that can manage an entire project or work as a team. As we have new projects come up, we will reach out with opportunities that match your skills and interests. CEP’s will be paid a flat fee per project.

But wait, there’s more! We believe in giving back and in doing so, we offer our partners a number of benefits outside of those identified above. Of course, you’ll be welcomed as part of the extended CTC team and able to work from our awesome office in Downtown Long Beach any time you want. Based on the group’s interests, we provide training sessions to help our Partners continue to grow in their career. And because we don’t like to be all work and no play, we embrace a monthly Friday Fun Day where we down and enjoy snacks and wine in the office in the afternoon while wrapping up the week and preparing to hit the ground running on Monday.

Your job is your choice. Come join the team. We’re waiting for you!

Interested in Partnering with CTC? Send the role you’re interested in, your resume, and a short description of why you’re perfect for the role to michelle@ctcconferences.com.

Welcoming the New Year with Gratitude

Dear Friends,

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to our amazing network who make our work possible: our clients, vendors, hotel partners, friends and more! We are truly grateful to you for supporting us through our journey.

2016 is a year we will not forget. Recently, I shared some event photos that make us proud. Here, I have shared a video highlighting how great 2016 was for Coast To Coast, myself, and our outstanding team. I am thrilled to share such exciting updates with you.

None of our accomplishments would be possible without the support of each of you. And for this reason, I just wanted to say thank you.

Have a wonderful 2017!
Michelle

Our Year In Review: 2016

And what a year it has been!

2016 has been incredible over here at CTC. We worked on events large and small with attendees from around the world. Some of our favorite events of the year included the Mr America competition in Maryland and the Longines Masters of Los Angeles right here in our backyard.

But don’t take our word for it… check out these event photos that highlight the fun we created.

Can you spot:

  • Vanilla Ice Performing
  • An Aerial Dancer
  • Iggy Azalea
  • A Lamborghini
  • The 2016 Longines Masters Grand Prix Winner

As always, we loved working with our clients, sponsors, attendees and volunteers to make this magic happen.

A Classic American Event: Mr. America

This year, with the help of CTC, the famous Mr. America bodybuilding competition got a fresh start! Our team at Coast to Coast was honored to take part in bringing the first ever Mr. America All American Sports Festival to life.

Back in 1939, the All Natural Mr. America Contest was created to select “America’s Best Built Man” and was focused on honoring the ancient Greek virtues of health, muscularity, symmetry, and character in order to showcase some of the finest specimens of American masculinity. Over time, the Mr. America Contest grew to become one of the most prestigious and recognizable names in bodybuilding and strength. As times have changed, so has the spirit of this great event.

Fast forward to 2016. As the lead event planners on this all American event in Maryland, we helped create and organize additional competitions for men and women including:

  • Classic Era Bodybuilding,
  • Physique,
  • Athletic Competition,
  • All-Around Competition (Bodybuilding/Physique, Athletic, and Interview,)
  • 5k color run,
  • Bench Press, and
  • Kids Push Ups.

The logistical challenge of bringing all of these activities (not to mention managing the experience of the participants, spectators, sponsors, and vendors) together under one roof was no small feat but our team handled tasks and deadlines with ease and grace.

As usual, we rose to the occasion and worked closely with our client to develop the systems, processes, and infrastructure that will carry this classic event through the next century and beyond!

At CTC, we always like to reflect on our projects after the whirlwind of planning and executing have calmed. So what was the most amazing part of the Mr. America show?

The people, of course.