You may be Camera Shy.

Photo By: Starla Fortunato

Here Are Four Tips

to

Instant Confidence

and

Beautiful Photos

by

Starla Fortunato, Photographer

@starlainla

In this age of selfies and social media, visibility is vital to our brand. Who would have thought we’d need professional photos to establish ourselves as authorities in our industries? This can be a real problem for your business if you dread having your photo taken. Here are four proven tips to finally take the impressive photos you need and will love.

Photo by Starla Fortunato

1 Hire a professional photographer

A professional photographer will partner with you and have a plan in place to help you step into your best light on your shoot day. All of us need guidance and direction. Even with their experience in front of the camera, A-list Actors need Directors to guide them on set, and so do you.

We’re not meant to do this alone.

Photo by Starla Fortunato

2 LOVE how you feel in your clothes

Choose two to three outfits you feel fabulous in to give your self-esteem a boost. Be sure to clean and accessorize your wardrobe from head to toe well in advance of your photo shoot. If you have gained or lost weight, gently meet yourself where you are and shop for new clothes that fit your body.

Ask your photographer for a wardrobe stylist referral if you’re having a difficult time.

Photo by Starla Fortunato

3 Relax on camera with one question

When your photographer points the camera at you, look into the lens and silently ask,” how can I be of service?”  It’s a wonderful question connecting us to our mastery — taking us out of fear and into our “why”.

Photo by Starla Fortunato

4 Don’t hold your breath

Do you hold your breath when someone points the camera at you? You’re not alone.  Many people from celebrities to business owners hold their breath when I pick up my camera.

I ask my clients to gently inhale, exhale and repeat. If we are breathing, we are staying present, and this establishes an authentic energetic connection to our audience and opens our world to new possibilities.

You got this.

The world craves the real you. Fascinate them, that’s why you’re here.

Come join me on a photographic journey

It’s time to have photos that establish you as an Icon in your industry on a global platform. Let’s talk about your next photo shoot. Email me to learn how we can work together.

starla@starlafortunato.com

starlafortunato.com

@starlainla

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First things first, you have to be found online somehow. Things to do in Beverly Hills is excited to be sharing the opportunity to list your business and events on www.thingstodoinbeverlyhills.com for FREE. A local online business advertising directory, their aim is to help businesses get found online and have achieve this by building every business their own page website (micro-site) this helps massively with SEO search engine optimization in other words getting their business found online organically (naturally) not using ad words, etc.

A new business that does not have their own website by using the directory provided by Things to do in Beverly Hills. Businesses won’t even need one as all the info and links to their social media contact info etc on the micro-site that was build them, with a one-off fee of $100.00 to build this.

Their company will be advertising on social media platforms and show they’re business to all visitors on the website (thousands) weekly.

All towns and cities link together for maximum exposure of their products or services. With thousands of page one search terms for businesses that list on the directories.

Also, having the largest search term worldwide for people and families visiting a new town, city, or country so they have the best of both worlds. “All things local in one place”

All things to do in Beverly Hills has just launched new designed sites one being www.thingstoinlondon.co.uk where businesses can add their own business free of charge, they won’t get the benefits of SEO and won’t be promoted on social media or receive a one page website but nevertheless they can show their business to the visitors free of charge and they are welcome to list any upcoming events for free and job vacancies. They are all things local in one place.

There is also, a lot of information on www.thingstodoin.co.uk and the bottom of the sites it shows most of the towns and cities we have up and running and the latest ones that are new.

Oh, yes the most important bit costs from just $79.00 per month and no contract to be tied into, what savvy business owner would say no to getting this much exposure for the cost of half a cup of coffee a day.

Some of the Benefits.

The Franchise:

Recently decided to franchise the directory so that a sales person can have their own business in the town they live in, example www.thingstodoinsouthend.uk or www.thingstodoinharlow.co.rk

The idea is that the franchisee owns Things to do in their town and add businesses on through 1. Field sales (going out and talking to business owners face to face) 2. Using LinkedIn, 3, face book Instagram and twitter tic toc maybe. 4. Telesales 5. Email etc

They now have a business where they can earn a fantastic residual income and the potential to increase their range in other words taking on new towns.

The most important bit for a franchisee is they now have a business with no RENT no RATES no UTILITIES no STAFF (unless they want some sales guys to work on a commission basis) they don’t have to build the microsites as we do this for them and we even invoice the companies so this has to be the most stress free franchise opportunity in the UK.

All information can be found on www.thingstodoinfranchises.co.uk

Just lunched in Florida www.thingstodoinkissimmee.com and Nairobi this week, www.thingstodoinnairobi.com and Kathmandu which is up but just needs some finishing touches and our big goal is to have businesses networking worldwide with the UK though the online directory platform.

Below is the sign up form which can be emailed to the prospective business, they fill in the form we then build them the microsite and send back the link once approved the site goes live (simple).

It has taken a while to get this to this point and I own these sites all over the world and it has cost me a fortune as you can imagine we have gone through many designs and the dashboard and bits behind the scene have taken muck trails and tribulation but we are now ready to take on the world.

– From Founder Paul Nash

The post Things to do in Beverly Hills appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

While PR firms are probably best known for managing PR in the moments right after a negative event has happened, successful crisis management is based on work that happens well before the actual event. A crisis can either be the reason a business fails, or it can be an opportunity to evolve. What you see as a spontaneous reaction is a measured response gauged specifically to effectively handle a bad situation whether it be anticipated or completely unexpected. Behind the scenes PR agencies have already been:

• Researching the brand, the industry, and the climate around it
• Facilitating effective communication and strong relationships between the company and media, including providing media training
• Discussing potential scenarios that could lead to a crisis and how to minimize probabilities
• Aligning clients with specific and tailored strategies in the case of a public crisis
• Creating a crisis communications plan with a clear hierarchy of contacts, specific protocols, and concise verbiage for use with the media, basically a step-by-step guide of what to do if something happens
• Monitoring and managing brand reputation for crisis prevention control to ensure a quick response to mediate developing stories

If or when the event does happen, PR agencies use this information to quickly decide how to manage an incident. They can then move into crisis mode to:

• Gather the appropriate facts
• Respond to media inquiries with consistent, transparent, and honest messaging true to the brand voice
• Provide internal support and communications as needed
• Strategize new branding opportunities to build a positive public perception, developing loyalty and increasing confidence in the brand, especially through positive media exposure
• Monitor public reactions and adjust strategy accordingly
• Show organization as taking the initiative to prevent something similar from happening

Being proactive is key because a fast response is critical. A crisis can happen at any moment. Companies lose valuable time by hiring a PR agency after the fact and expecting that they can make all the bad press and perceptions disappear with a snap of their fingers. Especially in the era of the Internet and social media when everything is in real time. No PR agency is quick enough to jump in after a crisis with limited information about the company and the crisis, as well as surrounding circumstances, and still be effective. By the time they are up to date, many opportunities to guide the narrative have already passed. A slow response or no response at all means the media finds its own story. And now, the PR agency and company are fighting a losing battle.

By embracing your public relations team as part of an ongoing process early, you can work together to prepare, enhancing your credibility and increasing your chances of minimizing or even completely avoiding the impact of potential crises. Because once the damage is done, it is done. While a crisis may be a surprise, your response shouldn’t be. A crisis happening is a matter of when not if. The best time to find a PR firm is before you need one.

Nicholas E. Adams is president & ceo of public relations agency NINICO Communications® with offices in Los Angeles and San Jose.

The post PR after a crisis: Too little, too late appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Healthy Mindset

Keeping a healthy mindset is wildly important to any job, relationship, etc., however during these times of uncertainty, that importance is amplified tenfold. Mental health is now one of the main priorities we as human beings need to focus on for the better of ourselves, but also for those around us.

Anna Stavaridis shared some helpful solutions in the webinar that can be utilized in both personal and work lives to help handle problems that may be found during COVID-19 and overall keep your mental health in check. These solutions are the following:

• Research: Use community, state, federal and BHCC resources to stay in the know and find what you need; inform yourself or find others that can inform you.
• Stay Protected: It’s important to social distance, wear a mask, wash your hands, and always get tested if you feel you have a temperature because risking anything puts others at risk too. You never know what could happen or what could be going on so once again, be smart and think things through before putting others at risk.
• Connect with others in your bubble: COVID-19 is still very much a threat and numbers of cases are still climbing, so we must be smart and remember to keep safe. However, that does not mean to shut yourself off from the world. Build your “bubble” of people you love and trust that you can connect with and talk to. Feel free to create a safe space with family, friends, neighbors, etc.
• Reach out to others: Reach out to people you maybe wouldn’t normally talk to or haven’t talked to in a while just to check in and see how they’re doing. Try building new bonds with people and talk with them more than you usually would, even if it is as simple as a good morning text. These small connections are important, and it makes people feel loved in a time where love is most needed.
• Get involved: Use the opportunities that your city, community, chamber, or church may have to plug yourself back into the social scene.

Physical Health

The next step or priority in efforts to take care of yourself is setting your goals to help lead to a more physically healthy life. This can be done by first defining what is or isn’t working toward a healthy lifestyle, and then considering what can be improved. This can include your nutrition, exercise, sleep, scheduling, and so on. Setting yourself first and prioritizing your own needs could drastically help figuring out a healthier way to live. It is okay to take time and invest in yourself if it’s what you need in order to find balance and happiness in your life.

Wealth – Financial Freedom

Finances are always a necessary subject to frequently visit to ensure you’re on track for a financial free lifestyle and retirement. Though it may not always be the easiest thing to look at, getting a sense of stability and control over your finances lifts a very heavy weight of your shoulders and relieves a major amount of stress. Gaining that sense of stability and financial freedom can be done through a five-step plan detailed in the webinar by retirement income specialist, Ivan Lovegren,. This five-step plan consists of five questions to ask yourself in the different stages of your financial life. These questions are:

1. Do you have control over day-to-day, month-to-month finances?
   • A yes or no question that is ok either way. You need to know this in order to set your goal and figure out where you are trying to go.
2. If you experience a set-back (illness, job loss, flat tire), do you have a safety buffer to keep you from creating debt.
   • Now that you have control over your cash flow and have a goal that you are trying to get to, if something were to happen that disturbed this stability, would you be able to recover from that. The last thing you’d want to have happen, is finally get out get out of number one, and just fall back into it. It’s important to prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
3. Have you built out a roadmap or budget that guarantees your financial path?
   • Though you already have your goal, this is where you make a plan that will allow to reach that goal. This question is going to set you on the right path to financial freedom in a certain amount of time. When looking at your cash flow and financial plan, and you’ve taken care of your necessities and future as needed, you could start to feel a bit of that financial freedom now.
4. Do you know what your goals are and are you on track to achieve them?
   • Looking back to the first and third questions, use this to take a step back and see how you are doing overall. This could be when you have some fun with your money and invest, check out stocks, or whatever it may be if you are still on track to achieve your goals.
5. Financial freedom – If not today, when?
   • Know when you are going to reach financial freedom and retirement and you might be able to relieve some of that financial stress today.

Finding Happiness

Common to all human beings, throughout our lives we are constantly in the pursuit of happiness. Though the means of reaching happiness may differentiate from person to person, the final goal is relatively always the same. The idea of being happy may seem somewhat simple, but by mistake, we often lose our way and forget the process and stages of achieving this feeling. In the webinar, mindset coach Aska Naito, addresses a helpful plan to help guide us back onto the right path and eventually find happiness. The plan to happiness is as follows:

• Permission to embrace discomfort: How are you dealing with discomfort? Especially during this time, we are all in a state of discomfort. We are confined, unable to see friends, go outside, do the things we’d like to do, and on top of that, we have other personal issues outside of COVID. As the first step to move on, we must learn to embrace discomfort because only when we hit our lowest point, do we open ourselves up to the greatest change. Discomfort can be seen as a gift and a learning opportunity to deal with our emotions and the situation that we are in.
• Resilient Mindset: What is resilience? It is the compacity to recover quickly from difficulty or toughness. Catabolic vs. Anabolic Mindset. We need to strive to maintain an anabolic mindset because in this mindset, we see a more constructive, high energy, positive person that wants to do well and achieve greater things.
• Flexibility & Adaptability: In an ever-changing world like today, we must be flexible and open to change in order to do well and accomplish our goals. This requires mental & emotional flexibility along with a strong yet gentle approach to creating win-win situations.
• Proactive Action Planning: Concentrate on what you can control and know you are responsible for your own destiny. Take time to situate yourself and decide how you are going to act as well as approach the issue.
• Understanding your why: Identify your 2020 vision statement. Similar to making a healthy lifestyle, understanding what is or isn’t working for you is a major part in knowing what you’re working toward and knowing why you make each decision or step.

For further information, contact:

• Anna Stavaridis | Meraki Fitness | 310.625.5490
• Aska Naito | ASKA NAITO Coaching & Consulting | 213.280.0766
• Ivan Lovegren | Ivan Lovegren, CDFA™ – Signature Resources | 424.255.6640

The post 2020 Vision: Health, Wealth, and Happiness Series Recap appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Frenchy Digital’s recent Health Talk webinar with the Chamber focused on the importance of Podcasting for Health Professionals and provided some helpful tips on how to get started. In case you weren’t able to join us, please enjoy this short recap!

What is a podcast?

Podcasts are a form of recorded digital audio episodes, sometimes incorporating video, that are available on demand over the internet. Podcast audiences are on a rise and recent statistics show that 51% of Americans have used the platform at least once prior to COVID-19 (Frenchy Digital). It is very likely this number has grown since then as people of all ages become increasingly attached to and dependent upon online services. Many streaming services, like Spotify, have expanded their content to include access to podcasts for their users. 

Why should I start podcasting?

Podcasting is a growing platform for doctors and other health professionals to reach patients in a new and informative way. In person consultations can help create a strong relationship with patients, but they are often restricted by the purpose of the patient’s visit. Podcasting enables healthcare professionals to educate their patients and peers to a greater extent regarding the topics they consider most valuable and which may not receive enough attention during a routine visit. 

What is the first step in developing my podcast?

It’s helpful if you start by identifying a specific focus for your podcasts. If your episodes are very unorganized and disconnected, they may not be able to maintain a secure following. Instead, develop a niche focus so that those who are similarly interested in your topic will want to listen in to more than one episode. 

How often should I post an episode?

Before posting your first podcast episode, it’s a great idea to first compile eight finished episodes. This preparedness will allow you to post on a routine schedule of your choosing without the stress of constantly needing to prepare another episode during busy weeks. 

How can I make more people want to listen to my podcast?

Develop your authority in your podcast by speaking about topics you care about and are knowledgeable of. It is especially helpful to introduce guest professionals in your podcasts as listener’s will appreciate multiple perspectives. You may also receive more followers as fans of your guests tune into episodes and become regular listeners. 

We’d like to give a big thank you to Frenchy Digital for providing this great information in their Health Talk! Members can exclusively access the meeting recap by logging in using their unique username and password on the Chamber website here and clicking ‘Resources’. If you’d like to connect with Frenchy Digital, visit their website and follow them on Instagram @Frenchydigital.

The post Podcasting for Health Professionals appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

The uncertainty of live events in 2020 is completely up in the air as it’s impossible to speculate when this pandemic will be over, as well as, when people will feel comfortable attending an event with a large group of people.

Virtual events can alleviate that uncertainty.

I’m a firm believer in live events, however, virtual events with some creativity and planning can be just as engaging as a live event.

The below blog post provides information for you to gauge on whether a virtual event could work as a temporary replacement for a live event (or keep it virtual or make it a hybrid).

Questions to Answer About Going Virtual

• Does your audience have the ability and/or desire to engage in a virtual conference? 
• Do you want attendees to just view or will they participate (i.e. ask questions, take polls, etc.)?
• Do you want the event to be live, pre-recorded or a mix of both?
• Will it be a revenue generator or a freebie?
• What will be the program?
  • Single speaker with live Q&A
  • Multiple speakers with breakout sessions
  • Multiple tracks of learning (i.e. marketing track, sales track, operations track, etc.) where an attendee would follow one track that would provide multiple speakers and breakout sessions

*Don’t just string together a bunch of webinars and call it a day.  That will not provide the engagement your attendees seek.

Virtual Event Options Available

Virtual Events can be jaw-dropping.  Full buildouts of what looks like a convention center with trade booths lining the walls and people walking around.  It’s amazing what developers have done.

Below are some options available, keep in mind the more intricate the more it may cost.

• Live Webinars
• Breakout sessions
• Virtual Lobbies
• Virtual Trade Show:  Each booth can include a video presentation, downloads, live chats with attendees, direct messaging and feeds to their social media accounts.
• Real time chat tools with attendees to make it a 2-way conversation
• One-on-one networking
• Different ticket levels that provide specific event access
• Create live chats with presenters
• Poll attendees
• Share information in the form of videos, documents, and presentations 
• Download post event reports to learn what worked, didn’t work and how to improve for future events. These detailed reports can provide the data for attendee engagement and sponsor ROI.

The Process to Planning a Virtual Event

Set Goals. When companies set goals, they achieve far more than when they don’t.  First you need to decide your overall vision for the event (including programming) and what the User Experience (UX) will be from the moment they register to post event communication.  Then mesh that vision with goals and metrics that help to maximize the exposure your virtual event will have on the target attendee. Below are some examples (don’t chose multiple goals, decide on one and make it happen).

• We will set a goal of 500 attendees
• We will acquire 200 new email subscribers
• We will complete 100 complimentary consultations during the event
• We will set 10 appointments with new clients by 2 weeks after event

Create a Budget.  Setting a budget is crucial to the financial success of an event.  By just stating a number (whether that’s gross revenue or net profit) doesn’t mean you will achieve it if you don’t define all of the line items involved.

Revenue:

• Ticket Sales.  There can be different levels that receive different access, plus you will be tapping into attendees that would not be able to attend otherwise.
• Exhibitor Sales.  This is self-explanatory.
• Sponsorship.  One of the biggest concerns regarding revenue for virtual events is whether corporate sponsorship can stay the same levels as they were for a live event. You can argue both sides of this, but the great thing about this is at the end of event you will have the data from reports to back up the ROI.

Expenses (** denotes expenses for creating the stage setup yourself):

• Audio Equipment. This cost ranges from $35 for a headset up to $100+ for a lavalier microphone. **
• Cameras. To provide the video range from $200 – $10,000+ depending on how high quality you want to go (or just use your computer).  **
• Lighting. This cost ranges from $45 for a small ring light up to $150+ for stage lighting.  **
• Marketing.  This could be done for free using your email list and social media posts, or you could spend $50 – $5,000+ on digital ads.  Also, you can create a lot of graphics on your own for free on Canva.com (my all-time favorite platform).
• Speaker Fees. This fee is dependent on the speaker’s credibility, follower count and their popularity.  They could do it for free or cost $20,000+.
• Staging/Background.  A backdrop could just be a wall or you could purchase a screen (of varying colors) and the frame to hold it up for $100+ depending on size.  NOTE: keep the height of person in mind when picking the size of the screen (unless they are seated then it won’t matter). **
• Video Conference Platforms.  The pricing is usually based on how many participants, how many meetings/conferences you will hold and how much cloud storage is needed.  Monthly rates start at $15 on up past $100 per month.

IMPORTANT: Do not base your decision to hire a vendor purely on price, get references and check online ratings. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “you get what you pay for” it’s not something you want to learn during a stressful event, especially if it’s the first time you’re doing it.

Finding the Right Vendors. Thankfully you will not need as many vendors as a live event, it mainly comes down to just a handful (not too many balls to juggle).

Audio Visual (A/V) equipment companies can help with the audio equipment, lighting, camera/computer and staging.  Please ask their advice on what equipment would work best for your event vision AND give them the budget upfront. For the most part A/V companies can work with most budgets.  However, if your budget is $200 for a full setup, they probably won’t be able to work with that.

Online Platforms (the companies referenced below are for your convenience and not an endorsement)

• Bizzabo 
• CommPartners
• Hopin
• Vfairs 
• Whova

Marketing for a Virtual Event. The same platforms to promote a live event direct emails to your list, social media posts, posting on online calendars and advertising with digital ads on relevant sites work well.

But the most important part is what content you should share.  The goal is to entice ticket sales and/or social media sharing.  Below is a good list of content to post:

• Previous video interviews with scheduled speakers
• Relevant industry info:  blog posts, white-papers, eBooks
• Downloadable offers
• Event updates (new speakers, flash sales for tickets, conversations on social media groups)

Create a hashtag for your event, it serves two purposes to push the word out as well as a location for attendees to submit questions before or during a talk from a speaker.

Event Preparations. There is a lot of preparation that goes into a successful virtual event.  It would be great if you just hired the online platform and they handled it all from there, but that’s not reality.  Below are some tips to get ready for day of event.

Event Website.  A virtual conference website, depending on the complexities, could take 1-2 weeks to set up. This means writing the copy, creating the graphics, setting up the branding, designing booths (if applicable), uploading content and scheduling webinars. Major customizations can take more time.

Presenter’s A/V.  Once securing each presenter, find out their audio and visual capabilities, as well as, the strength of their wi-fi connection.  Ideally, they will have a similar setup to keep a consistent look for the event AND you don’t want them dropping the connection during their presentation due to weak wi-fi.

Presenter Prep.  Even with live events, it’s necessary to have a conversation with presenters on their talking points to make sure that they are touching on the important topics your attendees are expecting to hear.  Also, ask them how you can support them in the event to make their presentation more engaging.

Rehearsals.  Schedule a rehearsal with each of your presenters and test attendees.  Work on the polling and chat sessions to make sure your presenter is comfortable with the screen controls and function of the presentation.

Presenter Problems.  Create a plan (and rehearse it) for any problems that may arise if a presenter loses connection, is running late, or cancels last minute.

Attendee Tutorial.  Create a tutorial on the event website and send via email, explaining how to join webinars, ask questions, join networking and breakout sessions.  The tutorial could be a quick video showing screenshots or simple text with imagery.

Customer Support During Event.  It’s important to have a person designated to provide support/help to attendees during the event.  This can be via email, phone or web chat. If you don’t have a staff person or it’s not available with the online platform you choose, consider outsourcing a staff member from an agency or online staffing platform.

Reminders.  Reminders are incredibly important for virtual events, it’s very easy to receive a reminder and forget to login because something comes up.  Send out reminders the day before, 1-hour before, and 10-minutes before the event starts.

Post Event Action Items. Now that the event has concluded, it’s time to thank the appropriate people and get the data.

Thank You’s.  Send out a thank you email within a day of event closing.  Make sure to include sponsor logos (with hyperlinks if possible), presenter decks (if approved) and event survey.

Run the Reports.  The best thing about virtual events, is the online platform is extracting data during the whole process.  Measuring the ROI is simplified and sending that data to sponsors is so much easier.

* If possible, encourage attendees to keep the conversation alive in the social media groups.  This can help with furthering your attendee engagement and possibly help to recruit attendees for future events.

—————————————

Hopefully this post has provided you the information to move forward (if appropriate) with a virtual conference.

Also, over the past 6-8 years many events have moved and stayed online, something to consider for the future. Another option is a hybrid event – virtual and live (i.e. pre-event and post event stays virtual to start and keep the conversation going with a live event).

To provide any comments for the author, leave them here. For more information about Kim Ruggles Events, click here. 

The post Switch a Conference to a Virtual Conference appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

While this may seem like a daunting task, we have a few suggestions that will help make the process easier.

Step 1: Picking the Right Theme

While it’s hard to please everyone, an immersive experience will go a long way to create the right atmosphere for all attendees. A versatile theme will give you more opportunities to create various types  of experiences that will appease many tastes and preferences.

Here are two options that offer a range of entertainment options and activations that allow for customization and branding, even if that brand is just yourself.

Casino Theme – Vegas showgirls, acrobatic aerialists, and model tray girls set the scene. Blackjack, roulette and craps tables provide more hands-on fun for the attendees. Décor options can range from the over the top and opulent razzle-dazzle of the modern-day strip to a more Rat Pack vintage throwback. And raffled prizes instead of cash betting ensure the stakes are still high enough to offer everyone an entertaining experience.

Roaring 20’s – What better way to celebrate the kickoff of the 20’s than with an homage to a time of prosperity, opulence and boundless entertainment. From flapper girls to the start of the Jazz Age, the 1920’s offer an abundance of inspiration for how to throw a great party. Set the mood with art deco invitations and appropriate cocktail attire. Prep the bar to make a few essential classic cocktails. Add a swinging jazz band and pepper in impersonators, roaming feather girls, and professional photographers decked out in 1920’s gear.

Step 2: Deciding How Much Entertainment You Need

As a rule of thumb, we recommend starting with at least three to four different acts throughout the evening. These will ensure that guests are continuously engaged without a lull to the celebrations.

Remember, these don’t need to all be over the top.  There should be one or two distinct showstoppers while the rest seamlessly mix with the general party atmosphere.

Roaming characters are a subtle way to pepper in some special moments which the guests can enjoy at their own pace. These can include stilt walkers, costumed ballerinas, go-go dancers as well as face paint and photo booths. Larger, show-stopping performances include aerialists, choreographed dance numbers, cyr wheel performers, and immersive activations like our signature Snow White awakening ceremony. When it comes to branding, we recommend staging branded items within the photo booth pop up or as part of our roaming characters display.

Step 3: Deciding on the music

Everyone knows that music is essential to any good party. If your budget allows it, a good DJ that can read the crowd and curate the perfect soundtrack for the night is an essential part of the evening’s entertainment. But your options don’t stop there. For budding tastemakers, create your own Spotify playlist and allocate your music budget to a live performance. What that entails should depend on your overall theme.

Of course, if you’re going all out – there’s nothing quite like pairing a DJ set with a musical act like a saxophone player or a drummer to really get the party going.

For more ideas or to book entertainment through ACE, visit: artistscreatingentertainment.com

The post Artists Creating Entertainment: Planning the Perfect Party appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

The DTC approach for many indie brands means building and nurturing more meaningful brand-consumer relationships and creating a sense of community with consumers.

So why is everyone talking about direct-to-consumer ecommerce?

In a nutshell, this strategy is all about brands working to build better relationships with consumers while sharing their unique brand story without having to go through a middle-man to disrupt that process. The product basically goes directly to the consumer instead of a big retailer, thus creating more opportunities for brand loyalty, authenticity, and transparency.

There are many benefits to going the direct-to-consumer route, including getting to really know your consumer on a personal level through direct and efficient feedback; as well as cutting down on inventory costs, as AdWeek explains.

More indie brands are turning to DTC to help provide exclusive options to loyal consumers. Brands like MeUndies have focused their efforts on giving consumers a chance to be a part of the collective brand experience, while giving exclusive perks through a personalized membership program, for instance.

MeUndies provides both affordable and sustainable undergarment options for both men and women. It also is committed to inclusivity, as reflected on their Instagram feed spotlighting couples wearing their membership-based pair undies.

The brand takes an interesting approach in selling undies by offering membership or encouraging couples to purchase matching pairs of underwear that’s delivered straight to the consumer’s door every month.

This membership strategy gives consumers the opportunity to choose exclusive prints and pick and customize the style, size, and shape of their favorite pair of underwear — giving full reign to consumers to be in charge of the unique clothing options available to them. This strategy gives consumers the chance to be a part of the experience, and to feel like they are being heard by a brand that cares.

Consumers are more likely to show brand loyalty with brands that follow the DTC model, provide affordability, and show a sense of understanding of the modern consumer and keep the feedback loop for their consumers open.

For brands that take the DTC approach, consumer input is very important to them because it’s what helps their brand truly stand out from major retailers. This approach is enough to pose somewhat of a threat to big retailers and “legacy brands” that might not have the advantage of a niche line, however.

Some large companies are concerned that they don’t have the same charisma as indie brands. In fact, the Globe and Mail reported that in the past few years, large companies lost billions of dollars to smaller, independent brands.

But there’s also plenty of room for big brands to take away key ideas from the successful indie brand DTC movement such as incorporating a strong mission statement to amplify or strengthen brand loyalty, and to create an authentic bond with consumers beyond the product. Being transparent and also having a social media presence can help big brands focus more on what their brand can offer beyond the product.

These days, it is not enough to have a physical presence. Brands must also be digitally creative and come up with daring and innovative ways to help consumers be a part of the experience. Brands must also align themselves with authentic storytelling and social causes they are most passionate about as well.

For more information regarding Direct to Consumer Strategies for 2020, read the full article by Absolute Web here.

The post Out-of-the-box Direct to Consumer Strategies for 2020 appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires certain businesses to make necessary changes and improvements to their websites for individuals with disabilities. The ADA applies to all government agencies and privately run companies or  non-profit organizations with 15 or more employees operating for the benefit of the general public. As a company or nonprofit organization, it is important to educate yourself and ensure that your website is ADA-compliant and accessible to all website users, including individuals with disabilities and visual or hearing impairments.

Learn how to make your website useful for all users and better understand the issues that users with disabilities may face, with the following guidelines and suggestions for how to improve your website for accessibility. To view our extended guide, including a few recommendations from our own Absolute Web case study, please visit our website.

While physical accommodations have been highlighted by the ADA, there are also many extended guidelines and requirements for ensuring that website content is accessible to all users.

This essentially means that certain businesses with public websites or ecommerce sites need to make improvements to text, font, text sizes, or screen readers and alternative assistance technology.

For instance, an exceptionally accessible website has an informative UI/UX with user-friendly features such as text and videos, closed captioning, and alternative modifications to make content more accessible to individuals who are blind, deaf, or often navigate content by voice or other assistive and alternative technologies.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Common standards for web content accessibility are known as The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG. The U.S. Department of Justice essentially oversees and manages the ADA requirements often referring to and citing recommendations from WCAG as a guide for web content standards for public websites.

In January 2018, new federal regulations went into effect making all federal institutions’ websites required to meet AA compliance on all items in WCAG 2.0. The WCAG 2.0 is considered to be a technical standard that offers content producers ADA website-compliant standard guidelines and criteria to measure the usability and accessibility of websites using the P.O.U.R. approach: Is your website Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust?

How To Make Websites Accessible to All

The ADA has compiled a helpful toolkit that businesses should consider reviewing to help ensure their website(s) are accessible. The ADA considers and defines website accessibility as having the following elements: webpage, website, web browser, html, screen reader (computer program that speaks written text), html tags, “longdesc” tag, refreshable Braille display, among other features for accessibility and usability.

Below is a list of general website problems and issues compiled by the ADA that may pose a barrier to individuals with disabilities:

• images without text equivalents
• documents not posted in an accessible format
• specifying colors and font sizes
• videos and other multimedia lack accessible features

It’s important that your business identifies any other additional barriers that may exist for individuals with disabilities when it comes to website accessibility. Here are some ways to improve your website, according to the ADA:

• Write a call-out asking for user input on how accessibility can be improved.
• Keep in mind that if you are making content changes, you will have to also make text and image changes to match new images in the “alt tags.”
• Make sure that your staff is trained and up-to-date with the latest ADA-compliant rules.
• Reach out to disability rights organizations that can provide feedback to the services or content provided on your website.

For more information, click here to read our extended guide on how to make your website ADA compliant.

The post Ensuring Your Ecommerce Website is ADA-Compliant appeared first on Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

These days when you’re throwing a party and inviting friends/family you just send out a mass text or evite and most people respond promptly.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it were that easy?

People are so busy these days with full schedules, computers, phones and smart watches competing for their attention. How do you get their attention? Well you need to surprise and delight people in creative ways to get them to your doorstep or website.

Start with a compelling marketing message that will engage people to act (i.e. RSVP or share on social media). If you already have your marketing message, fantastic you are ahead of most. If not, below are some questions and tips to help create a message that will provoke action.

Know your Target Market. Who is this person? What are their needs, problems, concerns, desires? What keeps them up at night?

Focus on the Target Market. It’s ALWAYS about them and how you are going to help them or make their life easier.

Be Bold. Position the product or service in a way that’s bold and imaginative; then use imagery and content that creates that vision.

Create Suspense. Don’t give them everything, leave some of the benefits of your product or service to the imagination. Create a campaign that identifies their problems and then leave them hanging…but just for a little bit.

Write like you Talk. Use a conversational, natural style of writing. It’s more personable and will appeal to your target audience.

MARKETING BEFORE THE EVENT

The following provides some platforms and tactics to get the word out, you don’t have to use them all BUT make certain you have a clear and concise message that gives people all the necessary information to RSVP & attend the event.

Email Marketing. Capitalize on your current email list, put some fun artwork together and link it to the RSVP site.

Event Webpage. Host it on your company website, create a Facebook event, use the Eventbrite platform (below example), or any other website as the ‘Go-To’ spot for event information. This content should be well-crafted that will entice people to RSVP. Also, limit the amount of steps needed to RSVP (name & email works just fine).

NOTE: Information to include on invites, website, and marketing pieces: event address, date, time, how to RSVP (email, website, phone), RSVP deadline, parking information and dress code (if there is one). After people RSVP, send a confirmation “Thank You” email including event details AND event hashtag encouraging them to share through social media channels.

“Go Old School.” The oldies but goodies: radio, newspaper, direct mailers, posters, hand out flyers to the public.

Leverage Influencers. Find people that influence decisions in your industry. Let them use the product or service prior to the event so they can tease the product to the target market.

Online Ads. Create artwork or text and pay to have posted on search engine sites like Google and Bing. You can set a dollar limit and not be surprised by a huge bill.

Online Calendars. Reach out to publications, radio stations, television. They all have websites that post community events.

Social Media. Choose the right platform for your product or service and target market. It’s not a “the more the merrier” sort of thing, choose wisely.

• Using Facebook ads? Target your exact demographic OR people who “like” a competing business with the same clientele. A Facebook event page is a great way to spread the word, as well as, an RSVP platform. Use high quality photos in png format.
• Fun imagery with text is a great way to build awareness. I like to use Canva.com to add text, plus they have templates already sized for social media platforms.
• Put press releases in your feed. Invite all of your connections in a direct message.
• Add images, be creative and concise with the 280 characters, don’t forget to create a hashtag for the event (first search to make sure it’s not already in use).

Use your network. Reach out to family, friends and past co-workers. Word-of-mouth can also be a powerful marketing tool.

MARKETING DAY OF EVENT

Red Carpet. If permitted, place it outside the venue near the entrance. This will bring some attention to the location. Even if it doesn’t bring people to the actual event, people will recall the hoop-la at the event and be more likely to remember you in the future.

Live Social Media. Post photos to your chosen social media platforms with live updates. This connects guests and leads their followers to a page full of posts all about the event AND your business.

Media Arrivals. Don’t forget to hand out the Media/Press kits with your business card to the local press that attends the event. Putting all of the information on a branded flash drive looks pretty snazzy too.

MARKETING POST EVENT

Many companies fail to follow-up after the launch event; the marketing is not over. This is when you REALLY start to bring on the charm and create clients for life.

Keep the Momentum. You’ll reach a lot of people at the launch party, but it often takes several touch points before someone is ready to buy. Make sure to follow-up with emails and phone calls.

Post Images. Post 10-20 of the best images of the event on the appropriate social media platforms. Most people like to see images of themselves having a great time.

Send Press Release. Send the press releases again with updated information about the event and 2-3 images of the event to the press that attended and the press that could not attend.

I hope these marketing tips were helpful, keep in mind this is a basic marketing plan. Should you want a more detailed plan PLEASE consult a professional for a plan that will provide your company the best exposure.

Content provided by Kim Ruggles, Owner of Kim Ruggles Events.

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