Decorating Tips for Crashing Dull Meetings

Wake Up a Dull Meeting

No one likes to go to a dull meeting at 8:00 am just to be talked at (while you slowly fall asleep).  Why not plan a fun, possibly interactive meeting to wake your staff up next time?  You can easily plan entertaining things that will startle your meeting attendees awake.  Here are a few ideas:

• Balloons, Balloons Everywhere!  As you’re delivering your speech to the team members, explain that you have a few visual aids to help keep your listeners on track.  Then, pick up a cardboard box and set it on the table in front of you.  Prior to the meeting, fill the cardboard box with as many helium-filled latex balloons as you can, so when you open the box, the balloons fly out everywhere and surprise your audience!
• Candy Rewards:  Ask your staff to plan to participate in the meeting.  Request that everyone come up with a few ideas to improve productivity or boost morale or something along those lines.  Then, during the meeting, when you begin to discuss the topics you’ve requested their input on, be prepared to toss everyone a personalized candy bar as they answer questions or give their comments.
• Themed Sales Meetings Attract Attention:  With themes like Reach for the Stars, Ride the Wave, or Showdown at High Noon, your sales meeting will be the talk of the company.  Themes are a great way to wake up a sleepy staff, especially if it’s early morning.  They’ll have decorations to look at and things other than charts and posters to focus on, even if it’s only for fun and for a little while.
• Fun Banners Act as Attention-Getters!  Hang a banner at the entrance to your meeting room so that your employees will not only know for sure which room the meeting is in, but so they feel welcome.  Then, when they walk in, offer coffee, juice, and a variety of snacks (healthy or sugary).

There are many other ways to grab the attention of your meeting attendees; these were just a few jumping-off points for you to start with.  Plan your next few meetings far enough ahead of time that you can create personalized favors for your meeting so that your attendees will be more likely to stay awake and be more alert.

Ideas for Your Awards Night Party Theme

Celebrate with a Red Carpet Party Theme

You’re already planning for your college mixer, school prom, adult cocktail party, corporate event, or kids birthday. We’re here to open the brainstorm with a few themes and supplies to get those creative juices flowing.

Awards Party Themes Take Center Stage

Note these dates on your social calendar and build your next theme party around a Bollywood party or Hollywood theme party.

• Zee Cine Awards- Sunday, February 5
• The Grammys- Sunday, February 12
• The Oscars (Academy Awards 2012)- Sunday, February 26
• Academy of Country Music- Sunday, April 1
• Cannes Film Festival- May 16- 27
• MTV Movie Awards- Sunday, June 3
• Tony Awards- Sunday, June 10
• MTV Video Music Awards- Sunday, September 9

Movie Theme Parties

Pop popcorn and snuggle in with the fam for movie night or dream big and snuggle up to a Marilyn Monroe party.

Film Festival Theme Party Decorations

Whisk your intellectual crowd into a sophisticated night of wine, International party supplies, and the sultry, Abhi Mujhe Mein Kahin or organize France party supplies throughout the banquet facility of your Cannes Film Festival event.

Country Music Party Theme

Celebrate country music in our cowboy party store. Show them city slickers that your tableware party supplies don’t have to be fancy because a Dirt Road Anthem surrounded by NASCAR party supplies is the party theme to remember. Invite military families to your event and open the welcome home theme party with We Take Care of Our Own.

City Theme Party Decorations

Go downtown and dance away at a sweaty, city theme party. Continuously play music videos and movies on wide screen TVs. Promote fresh, theme party faces like pop’s Asher Monroe,

soul’s Adele,

or Bollywood’s Vidya Balan.

Political Theme Party Supplies

Want to shake it up? Times are changing. Make a statement with your theme party supplies and political rally decorations. Anjulie will turn heads and so will Occupy party supplies or national debt party supplies peppered throughout your theme party decorations.

College Theme Parties

There’s time to coordinate a frat party, toga party, or birthday with the MTV awards night. Just add a few props, cocktail accessories, and rock star party supplies to go.

Corporate Theme Parties

Let music loosen up the execs. Invite Taylor Swift to your private concert or just watch her perform at the Grammys along with Coldplay.

Give guests a few elephant hats and decorate with baby elephant standees, safari decorations, and other mascot costumes to get in the spirit of Coldplay’s Paradise video. Paul McCartney will be honored at this year’s Grammys. Celebrate the successes of yesterday, while your company presses ahead into 2012. These retro theme party supply or Wizard of Oz party stores can help you emphasize both achievements and goals.

Funny Theme Parties

Laugh it up with clips of Billy Crystal going Off the Grid for the Academy.

Dress up as your favorite nominee. Send party invitations and decorate with party favors, party tableware, and party decorations (such as Money Ball baseball party supplies) that revolve around your picks. Give awards night male statuettes or awards night female statuettes to the most creative or funny, theme party costumes.

Awards party themes spice up winter dull drums and celebrate successes. Host your own Academy, Grammy, MTV, Bollywood, or Hollywood theme party!

Corporate Invite-Only Parties Need Not Be Boring!

Corporate invite-only parties are a perfect way to entice other businesses to use your services at conventions or local soirees, but they don’t have to be boring! The best way you can persuade another company to use your services is to choose a party theme to jazz things up. Your employees and attendees will feel relaxed and enjoy themselves while mingling for business. I’ve included several corporate event ideas that will have business eating out of the palm of your hand.

Fifties Party
Start your event with a catered dinner for guests to enjoy. When guests are finished, they will follow the 50s drive-in sign into the next room which has been transformed into their very own sock hop!

• Decorate with rock around the clock decorations.
• Set up a photo booth with a fun personalized 50s stand in for guests to take silly pictures in.
• Hire roller-skating servers to serve root beer floats to guests that look just like the root beer float candles on the tables.
• Send guests away with personalized fifties mint tins and 50’s milk chocolate lollipops that have your business information on printed on them.

Poker Party
Host a poker party so your guests feel like they’re really in Vegas! Whether you choose a formal dinner, a buffet, or cocktails to be served to your guests, I’ll bet they have a blast!

• Set up a jackpot theme kit that has everything you need all rolled into one!
• Place casino cutouts around the room that will point you guests to their desired poker party activities.
• Give guests fabulous party favors that they can take home and remember the evening (and your business information) like create-a-sticker square clear shot glasses or personalized poker chips.

You can create the perfect theme party that fits your company’s style, genre, or product type. When you have fun & get creative, your business guests will be so pleased to mix business with a little pleasure!

The Importance of Employee Recognition

Employers and supervisors know they can improve employee morale with recognition for good work. The biggest questions are when or how to do  it? The answer to “when” is now, if you want to see an increase in productivity. For the how, here are some ideas.

• It doesn’t hurt to be flashy.

Award a different employee each week with the flashing spirit button. Soon every worker will want one. You establish and communicate the criteria needed to receive the award.

• Take it to the streets.

Improve employee engagement, loyalty and retention with sales spirit meetings and send salespeople out on the street with antenna balls advertising the spirit of your new sales promotion. A potential customer could see it and buy into the idea.

• Surprise!

Surprise the staff with company picnic and transform the break room into a party paradise with customized party supplies. Fill the dollar bags with cash or prizes for the top-earners, over-achievers, and lucky winners. Find a way to include the receptionist—the first  link with your company.

• Theme it up.

Sales meeting themes (theme meetings) are just more fun than the usual weekly meeting.  That’s why it’s important they understand how to earn them and not just expect them. If it’s a star party, they  should know why they get to be photographed on the red carpet.

• Find a good helper.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to creating a health, productive workplace. You will have to experiment with a variety of ideas to find what works best.

The key is to find reward the hard work and effort of employees that work for you with a wide variety employee recognition items and ideas.

“Stop At My Booth!” Tradeshow Promotional Products

Clever Promotional Products

Are you a small business owner looking for promotional products? Do you have a trade show event coming up and need giveaways? Booths at trade shows always need giveaways. Anything can be handed to passers-bys. Even sitting on a table with a sign marked, “TAKE ONE” will encourage people to stop, look, and listen. When you walk the tradeshow floors or visit clients, you’ll want them to have more than a business card to remind them of your services.

Hungry event participants stop for chocolates or candy. Personalize your mini chocolate bar wrappers with your name or logo.

Working a health fair? Encourage healthier habits. Stress balls are very popular, but bike bottles are a great giveaway. Water bottle tradeshow products are easy to personalize and potential customers will continue to use them. Plus…no calories!

People at tradeshows always need bags. Vinyl Tote Favor Bags are small and the perfect size to collect all the business cards and candy collected that day. Some will throw out the cards, but keep the bag with your information on it!

Divaz personalized wand lip shine is a promotional product that’s a practical tradeshow giveaway. Your potential clients will keep lip balm and use every day.

Personalized Promotional Product Hints

Make sure your company name, website and contact information is clearly displayed on every product. Keep logo and brand consistency so people will recognize it instantly. Get creative and have fun. Find products to give away that will remind customers of you all year long.

Have some Office Fun with ShindigZ!

ShindigZ has party supplies for your office or business too! Boost company morale with fun office picnics, parties and events. Create promotional products to give out to employees in a reward system or to thank clients for their time. Use personalized items in bulk to get your name out. It makes great advertising. Here are some of our favorite ideas for Office Fun!

Stock up on supplies to have monthly birthday parties in your office. Use plastic tableware in colors that coordinate for the season, with the company logo or with employee’s favorite colors. Remember the table covers, centerpieces, and personalized napkins with your company logo also.  Create personalized vinyl banners to celebrate birthdays too.

Retirement is another time to celebrate. Have a retirement party to recognize years of good service. ShindigZ has tons of themed party supplies for creating a fun event that focuses on the unique interests of the retiree. Plus, our personalized gifts such as money clips, drinkware, photo albums or picture frames can be customized with your company logo and slogan for a wonderful retirement gift.

Have a company awards ceremony at the end of each year or financial quarter. Recognize outstanding employees with pins, award certificates and personalized company gear. This is a great way to make sure employees feel appreciated for all the work they do. Turn your award ceremony into a full-fledged banquet. Choose a theme and stock up on coordinating decorations. Plus, create an awesome podium or table for the centerpiece of the awards ceremony with a Personalized Table Runner featuring your company name.

ShindigZ doesn’t just have supplies for fun around the office. Use promotional items such as albums, clocks, mugs, and portable drinkware to reward employees or make them feel like part of the team. Employees of the month will love bringing in their morning coffee in a stainless steel travel mug personalized with your company logo and slogan.

Get the buzz out about your company using advertising products. Personalize small items such as buttons, keytags, stadium cups or pens and pencils and hand them out to clients or give them out at career fairs, set them at reception or use them along with business cards. They’ll really get your name out in a memorable way.

ShindigZ is more than just party supplies! Check out all the Office Fun and tell us your ideas!