by Ginger Donnan

There aren’t many writers who can make me laugh out loud but Ted Kruckel gets me every time. PR guru turned event columnist, his weekly article for BizBash gives insight into the most fabulous events…and those that flunk. His articles are always personal and honest and this week’s is no different as he shares a story about one of his own dinner parties before providing dos and don’ts for the recovering event economy. Here are some of my favorites:

Do announce a charitable donation for every single event, regardless of the format. Nonprofits have been hit harder than you have, and when you add this element, guests can exhale and relax a bit more.

Don’t pay celebrities to attend or perform. It’s gone too far. If you’re doing a benefit and you can’t find stars to donate their fee, then you aren’t looking hard enough. For a commercial event, announce that you’re giving the celebrity/entertainment budget to charity.

Do go old-fashioned with a printed invitation. That doesn’t mean be a Luddite. Use recycled paper and supplement it with an online invite and R.S.V.P. option. Just remember, the U.S. Postal Service got nicked, too.

Don’t use an iPod-based sound system. Most MP3 files have lost some of the song’s original file detail to compression. It is the musical equivalent of driving drunk.

Do invite people with a guest. Trying to save money by not doing so is a losing game. Some people you want won’t attend, and the ones who do will enjoy themselves less.

Do ignore people who say there is a whole new set of rules. Self-satisfied prognosticators are so full of it.

For the full article, click here.