An Answer for Event Planners

F.H. Medcalf BUSINESS WRITER*

What Corporate Event Planner hasn't asked, "How can I do more for less?" If you fall into this category, then your answer has finally surfaced. I had the pleasure of meeting two individuals from Silicon Valley who have reinvented the event planning mousetrap. Read on.

Any planner can double the size of their staff, advertising budget and the amount of hours in the office, but we all know that doesn't guarantee a better bottom line. Once again, Silicon Valley has produced innovators. Darryl Scotti and Bill Hobson of TheGreatEvent.com have developed a working tool that will change the way planners and clients do business. Scotti has used his twenty years of success as an event planner combined with Hobson's decades of development and design experience to produce a working tool used by event planners and their clients.

TheGreatEvent.com site is a double-edged sword that provides state-of-the-art management for the planner and draws clients into the interactive site that allows them to shop for and plan their entire event. The 'Regional Digital Gateway' (RDG) drives traffic through the portal into all regional affiliates and these leads are sent directly to the regional member.

I am amazed at the forethought and planning of this site. Take a tour of the national navigator at http://www.TheGreatEvent.com or see how your site would look at http://demo.TheGreatEvent.Com You can even see QuickTime movies of actual events at http://www.thegreatevent.tv.

It is hard to believe that it has taken this long for such an efficient site to emerge. Hobson's wizardry is evident when you see how well the back end works for the planners. Beside bringing buyers looking for sellers through the front door, Hobson has developed a back end that makes it easy for the affiliates to have all the management and financial tools, business plan, pay-per-click marketing, corporate ID, products, services, communication tools, images, catalogs, movies, membership database and more.

Affiliates can integrate their existing catalogs, themes, images, company identity and current web content right into this tool with minimal training. Marketing, set-up and hosting is included. Part of the brilliance is that it is easily updateable and simple to manage by the affiliate without the high cost of HTML and JAVA code programmers or no annoying hidden fees.

This system is ideal for mid sized party planning companies that want to double the size of their business, be part of a national organization, tap into a marketing campaign they would otherwise not be able to afford and receive a state of the art web presence. Their pay-as-you-go (annual contracts) is simple and convenient.

What Scotti and Hobson are providing includes:

• Exclusive National Franchise with regional representation
• National 'Target Marketing' campaign
• State-of-the-Art Web Site/Database customized with local identity
• Instant qualified leads emailed directly to the regional affiliate
• Free hosting and email tools

PLUS THE FULL BENEFIT OF

• Web activated Membership Database with automated communication E-tools
• Enhanced local exposure and credibility backed by a national organization
• Instant On-Line Credit Card Merchant Approval
• Instant access to custom themes with national and regional venders, entertainers and venues
• Instant access to national food, beverage and decor providers
• Instant access to cost saving event planning software
• Instant access to Sales, Marketing and Training support

The experience, background, and dedication that Hobson, Scotti, and staff bring to this business are evident from the opening credits to the cost calculator (a very innovative and user-friendly tool). Like all successful ventures, this team has uncovered what a busy businessperson really needs in a working site.

I believe that their working customer interface is the secret for their success in this highly competitive field. This article only touches the surface of what an incredible future event planning will have.

Don't miss this out on this one. Several exclusive lucrative market gateways are still available. Check out their site at http://www.TheGreatEvent.com, give them a call at 1-877-383-6683 or e-mail them at info@thegreatevent.com.

*F.H. Medcalf is a freelance writer and has spent the last 29 years working for a major telecommunications company and is currently an ITO manager in California. Contact him at FHMedcalf@yahoo.com.