A lot of people believe that planning an event by themselves is the better route to go than hiring an event planner for many reasons, but in reality the pros completely outweigh the cons.

Planning an event can be really stressful. Hiring an outside source to plan your party alleviates the stress of having to do it yourself and instead you can describe your vision and watch the event planner put it all together. Then, think about when the event takes place; Instead of having to be on top of everything and worry if things are going smoothly, the event planner is there to coordinate and take care of the whole thing. It is your event; you should be able to enjoy it. Coming up with a theme might also be causing you stress. Event planners are very creative. We also stay on top of the trends so this way the level of creativity of your party is one of a kind.

Event planners are skilled professionals and can handle a lot of situations that you, yourself may not be expecting. If something were to potentially go wrong, the event planner knows exactly how to handle the situation. You might believe that hiring an event planner is more expensive than doing it yourself but really, the deals and hook-ups that you receive through your event planner will save you more money in the end. This is what we do, so we have built and maintained relationships with vendors so this way we can get you a better deal than you could get yourself.  We are also made aware of your budget when you hire us, this way there is no chance of going overboard and increasing the price.

So whether its stress levels, creativity, insurance, cost, or coordination, hiring an event planner for any of your event needs would be the best way to go. Remember, it’s your party; Enjoy it!!

–Amy Romano, Intern

1. Decide who you are fundraising for. In order to put an event together and raise money, it is important that you have a specific organization to fundraise for. You want to be organized and on track. I suggest that you should choose an organization that is dear to your heart. This not only makes the event fun but meaningful, too.
2. Know everything about the organization. You want to be knowledgeable to anyone with questions. This will make people how dedicated you are thus making them more likely to donate. 
3. Decide how much money you would like to raise. This will help you stay on track and market yourself appropriately.
4. Keep track of everyone who has donated to you. It’s important to keep record of the person or company that has donated to you and the amount they donated. It lets you know how close you are to your goal amount as well as letting the donator know that you are organized. In case anything goes array, you have your records to cover your bases.
5. Don’t be pushy. You have to understand that a person may not have the funds to donate to your fundraiser. Do not take it personally, there will be plenty of other people and companies that will donate.
6. Develop a friendly way to request a donation. We all understand that asking for a money donation is slightly uncomfortable. There are plenty of ways to ask without seeming rude or needy. With your own personality, put together a few lines that you think sounds appropriate to an audience. It is important to draw them in and make them want to donate.
7. Give yourself a lot of time to prepare. Remember that anything can go wrong. Give yourself plenty of leeway to make new arrangements if need be. Start planning three months prior to the date.
8. Market your fundraiser. We are all familiar with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. So, post a bunch of statuses and tweets about your event. It doesn’t take a lot of money to market yourself efficiently.
9. Stay motivated. Keep in mind that this is something that you planned for a reason, so it must mean something to you. You will raise the money that you are striving for, it just takes hard work and dedication.
10. Have fun. When the date approaches, you will be fully satisfied with your work. All the stress you endured will be worth it. A good attitude always leads to success.

-Amanda Pryor, Summer 2011 Intern

See, when you think about the fall, winter, and back to school this way, it doesn’t seem as bad. We need to keep in mind that there a great things about every season. We may not realize it as we are being care-free during the summertime but everybody misses something about the fall and winter seasons. Personally, I love the feeling of being organized and in a school routine. I enjoy waking up early for class and having the entire day ahead of me. What I love the most is watching the leaves change colors and the calm before the first snow fall. Now go ahead, admit it, you love those things too. Here are a few tips to help you transition from summer to fall.

1. Stay organized. Making lists are the best way to stay organized. Check off the items you have already bought or the tasks you have already completed. This keeps your mind clear and prevents you from forgetting anything important. Lists work great when preparing to go back to school, going grocery shopping, and when deadlines are approaching quicker than you thought.
2. Complete the last few items on your bucket list. If you’re the kind of person who has a summer to-do list, time is running out. Make sure you take that road trip to California that you’ve been planning or get a bunch of friends together for a scavenger hunt because back to school is right behind us.
3. Put your summer clothes away and break out the scarves. Now that summer is winding down, it is time to think about reorganizing your closet. Move the short sleeves and dresses to the back and the long sleeves and sweatshirts to the front. The cold weather is going to come faster than we’d like it too.
4. Go shopping. That’s necessary for new back-to-school clothes, right?
5. Time management. Now is the time to give yourself some relaxation time before the madness that is school work begins. Give yourself a solid week to do nothing but organize your thoughts and get together with your friends. 

–Amanda Pryor

I can think of a very famous multitask that has more tragic stories than good ones. Texting and driving. I’m sure everyone is guilty of it. If you’re not, than more kudos to you. How many times have you heard your phone ring, look down at the funny picture your roommate sent you, and by the time you look up the breaks of the car in front of you are too close for comfort? Another famous multitask is listening to music while writing a paper for school. Again, everyone does it but how many people actually thrive?

The work place is an important place where multitasking should be brought to an extreme low. At your job I would suggest multitasking the least amount possible because this is the place where you want to put your best foot forward and prove that you are capable. It is possible to increase your productivity without having to multitask. Yes, you have deadlines to meet, projects to finish, emails to answer, phone calls to return, errands to run after work, and maintain a social life but so do the rest of us. There is a way to get through it all. You just have to work on your time management skills and unfortunately those are skills that you have to teach yourself.

Some key advice for coping with your time management skills are this:

1. Don’t let your emails pile up.
2. Do the most important things first.
3. Keep yourself extremely organized. Yes, that means your desk too.
4. Know when you work best.
5. Organize a to-do list every morning.

My point is that multitasking will hurt us more than it will help us. It is better to do one thing to the best of your ability, with all of your attention focused on it than doing three things half as good as they could be.

–Amanda Pryor

Are we sabotaging ourselves by being constantly available? Are we minimizing time spent doing other tasks, or even compromising our own deserved relaxing time so we can respond immediately to that text message or email? The answer is yes. Technology has become the catalyst for our addicted. People are now demanding instantaneous responses or feedback because they have the inclination that their message is being read the moment they hit ‘send’. I came across an article published in “Real Simple” and wondered what the consensus was for appropriate response time/whether to respond at all. I believe that no matter what the message, big or small, a response of some sort should be administered. If the person took the time to send the message, then it clearly is of importance and should be treated that way. (For more information, please read http://simplystated.realsimple.com/2011/07/07/email-etiquette-tips/). And especially if you have a Smartphone, you may as well already consider yourself a crackberry and have the courtesy to respond to the message. Until the Western culture slows down it’s pace and changes the standards, people expect (and deserve) nearly instantaneous responses!

-Lisa Glover, Summer 2011 Intern

Movies
This indoor activity never gets old. Grab a group of friends and head off to your local movie theater. It’s a great way to stay cool and enjoy the latest horror flick or romantic comedy. Don’t forget to get some popcorn – it’s a great snack and fun to throw at friends!

Shopping
Every girl loves a shopping trip. If it’s too hot to go outside, go to the mall! Spend all day being cool in air conditioning and get some cute outfits; we can never have too many of those. Going to the mall is an easy way to stay out of the heat and have fun.

Go to a Museum
For all you city people out there, spend the day museum hopping. Go to places like The Met or the MOMA (it’s free on Fridays!). There are plenty of art galleries and museums to enlighten your brain while you stay cool. Maybe one will inspire you to make your own art!

Broadway
Although located in NYC, Broadway is not just for city-dwellers. Take a trip in to see one of the amazing shows out right now. You can try for Catch Me If You Can (unfortunately not starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but one can dream), The Book of Mormon (it won the Tony for Best Musical!), or Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark (everyone loves a good superhero story). There are so many more shows that you can go see, and they’ll keep you entertained, while cooling you down with their a/c. Don’t forget to bring a jacket!

Comedy Show
Another type of show that will keep you laughing is a comedy show! If you’re not into the whole singing and acting scene, go see a comedy show that will most likely make fun of all that. There are plenty of them around and they’ll be sure to have you catching your breath after laughing so much. I recently went to the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC and it was hilarious; I highly suggest it! For more information on the UCB go here.

New York Aquarium
Head out to Coney Island and walk around the New York Aquarium. Bring friends and admire all the different kinds of fish they have. Just don’t jump in the tanks!

Spa
Don’t want to walk around museums or aquariums? Well then get relaxed and go to a spa for the day. A massage never hurt anyone. One of the best indoor activities there is, spa going is sure to keep you occupied, cool, and calm for the whole day.

Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
Love the winter? Well then the Sky Rink is the place for you. Enjoy a nice day ice skating at this year round ice rink. A perfect way to cool down in the hot weather. Bring friends and have some fun!

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
What better way to cool down on a hot day then to have some ice cream? Head out to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory for some great ice cream. It’ll be sure to cool you down and while you’re there head over to Coney Island and hang out at the beach. If it cools down enough even catch a Cyclones game!

Eat Some Sushi
Don’t know what to eat on a hot day? Sushi is the perfect food to eat when it’s 100 degrees out. Although delicious, pizza is a hot food and might enhance the already hot temperatures. Grab sushi with some friends, the cool, refreshing fish is something different that’ll be sure to keep you cooler then a piece of pizza.

-Summer 2011 Intern, Sari Cohen

As shown in the Real Simple birthday note, there are a few simple tips to include and personalize any card, for any occasion!

• Compliment the recipient’s best qualities. Take advantage of the opportunity to say why loved ones are special: “I’m so lucky to have such a caring, supportive, funny friend” or “I’m so proud of you for being such a compassionate person.”
• Turn a birthday card into a thank-you note. Tell someone what a difference he or she makes to your life.
• Focus on the year ahead and what you hope it brings: joy, success, a new job, celebrations, possibilities. This goes a long way toward personalizing a card.
• Don’t assume people are thrilled about a birthday. Some folks aren’t. And if age is an issue, don’t point out the number in the card. Emphasize the person, not the milestone.

Here at Penta, we have our own tips for writing personalized notes:

• Recall the gift: don’t just say “thank you for your gift” – state what it was and why you appreciate it.
• Remembering the event: If you spent the weekend at a friend’s summer house, write in the note about your favorite or memorable part of the weekend.
• Show support- Even if it was something simple, sending a thank you note to somehow who helped or supported you to advance in some way is important and shows the recipient how much their efforts meant to you.
• Follow up – especially if you’ve just applied for a job; your future employers will be more likely to stay interested in you if you show you’re interested in the company.

– Lisa Glover, Summer 2011 Intern

1. Evernote: lets you create notes, snap photos, and record voice memos that you can access at any time from your iPhone, computer, or the web.
2. My Punchbowl: A full event planning suite in an app.  Send out invites, divvy up work into manageable steps, manage guest lists and event get post event rating, reviews and testimonials.
3. QuickVoice: Record ideas, voice memos, voice email, dictation, lists, meetings, classes, or entire lectures! For professional, educational, and personal use.
4. Audio Planner: You can plan an event, manage-audio equipment lists, generate budget recommendations for clients, and free advice from industry experts.
5. Omnifocus:
6. Map Mailer: Enables you to send a map image in a jpeg form attached to your email. This is good for giving your clients directions to your office or meeting destination.
7. Coundownr: Provides a collection of countdown counters. There are two types of counters: Counters that count down to a specific date and time and counters that read upcoming events from public Google calendars. Each counter can be customized for a specific time and date. You can add countdowns from external links or email them to your iPhone.
8. Coordinatr: Perfect for planning smaller events like barbecues, birthdays, and luncheons which require quick planning and execution within a matter of days.
9. iPartee: A great app for finding the perfect venue for upcoming events.  It even gives you the tools to promote and generate revenue for your events.

http://www.digitalsoulevents.com/blog/the-best-iphone-apps-for-event-planners/

and www.apple.com

-Penta 2011 Summer Intern, Amanda Pryor

1.  Guest List:  Choose carefully which of your child’s friends you are going to invite to this party. You don’t want the party to get out of hand but you also don’t want the party to be boring. Also, it is a good idea to keep track of how many people are on the guest list between family and friends. 75-100 is the magic number, room permitting of course.

2.  Better to be safe than sorry:  Give your guests the option of staying indoors or outdoors at your party.  Order a tent just in case the weather is not as nice as you would have hoped. This way, your guests will be outside enjoying the (hopefully) nice weather but it is still their choice to be in the sun or not. Ordering a tent will help you avoid any unwanted stress. Plus, this will provide more room for your guests so they’re not crowded.

3.  Food:  It is not ideal for your guests to be starving the first three hours of your party. Bring the food out within the first hour that every one is supposed to arrive. This stirs up conversation and gives your guests energy for the rest of the party. Leave the food out for a while so if any stragglers come late they aren’t hungry or disappointed. Plus, later in the night, guests usually like to go for seconds.

4.  Drinks:  Alcohol is a big decision. At a High School graduation party it is important to remember that most of your child’s guests will be underage. If you choose to allow alcohol at your party, I would suggest hiring a bartender to serve as the “bad guy” to deny the young ones of any alcoholic beverages. For a College graduation party, most of the time everyone is of age but it is up to your whether you’d like to host an alcohol-free party or not. Make sure there is more than one type of drink.  For example, lemonade, soda, tea, light beer, wine etc.

5.  Be prepared: Think of all of the possible things that could go wrong at a party and find alternatives. Make sure all rentals and items your ordered  show up the night before the event or hours before to leave enough time to think of a solution.   If the cake you wanted says “Congratulations, Danny” rather than ‘Brian’, don’t sweat it.  Be prepared with cupcake/cake mix in your cabinet and ask some friends to come over and put them to work.  Nobody will even know the difference.

Hope you take my advice and have the most successful and memorable Graduation party you could possibly give your child!

-Summer 2011 Intern, Amanda

 15. Turtle Bay Resort – Oahu, HI: a 10-minute show

 

14. Sunoco Welcome America Celebration – Philadelphia, PA: a 15-minute show

 

13. Go 4^th on the River – New Orleans, LA: a 13-minute show

12. A Capitol Fourth – Washington, DC: a 20-minute show

11.  Fair St. Louis – St. Louis, MO: a 20-minute show

10. Presbyterian Hospital July 4^th Spectacular – Charlotte, NC: a 20-minute show

 

9. Boston Pops Firework Spectacular – Boston, MA: a 21-minute show

8. Fisherman’s Wharf Fireworks Extravaganza – San Francisco, CA: a 21-minute show

 

7. Seattle’s Family 4^th Celebration – Seattle, WA: a 21-minute show

6. Lights on the Lake – Lake Tahoe, CA: a 23-minute show

5. Light Up the Night – Aurora, CO: a 25-minute show

 

4. Macy’s Firework Spectacular – New York, NY: a 26-minute show

3. Kaboom Town! – Addison, TX: a 30-minute show

 

2. Let Freedom Sing – Nashville, TN: a 30-minute show

 

1. Atlantic City Firework Spectacular – Atlantic City, NJ: In total, a 46-minute show

http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/28/july-4th-fireworks-15-of-the-biggest-shows-in-america-ranked-p/

 -Summer 2011 Intern, Amanda Pryor