Hosting events can be very expensive but, if you are planning an event during July or August of 2012, Gilley’s Dallas has a special offer that can save you thousands of dollars! Rent any venue in the complex and receive 50% off the standard room rate. Since this offer extends to every room in Gilley’s, you save money AND have the perfect space for your party. Each of the venues in Gilley’s have different features and atmosphere and accommodate groups of different sizes.

Bikini season is finally here and Twin Peaks wants you to celebrate. From April 28 to May 16, Twin Peaks restaurants from Colorado Mills to Baton Rouge, LA are holding individual bikini contests in hopes to find the next Bikini All-Star. Every finalist will meet in Dallas at the Palladium Ballroom in Gilley’s Dallas on May 30th to compete for the title.

To stay updated on individual finalists at each restaurant throughout the month, be sure to like Twin Peaks Restaurant on Facebook. Twin Peaks is turning up the heat so be sure to catch all the action live at the Palladium on May 30th at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale now for only $10!

Be sure to RSVP on Facebook too!

For a better idea of all the action to come, watch this recap video from last year’s contest.

1. Budget

It is best to first set a budget and have financial boundaries. This will help keep the event financially organized, providing the couple with an unforgettable wedding while still allowing proficient funds for the honeymoon and the beginning of the marriage.

To determine a budget for the wedding, it would be helpful to set a specific size of the bridal party and the estimated number of guests to invite. This information will also help in estimating the amount of food to be served on the wedding and/or the number of seats to be reserved. It is important to remain practical when coming up with this figure. Always overestimate your needs–there will always be unexpected costs and budgeting those ahead of time can prevent disaster down the road.

2. Wedding venue

The overall theme and ambiance should be determined before choosing a wedding venue as they typically go hand in hand. Even a very vague idea will help–indoor vs outdoor, formal vs casual, and so on. Local spaces offer a wide range of various styles and themes. Wedding venues in Dallas, such as Gilley’s Dallas, are also highly flexible and would surely be perfect for any couple’s dream wedding.

As an added tip, choose a wedding venue with a valet parking especially if you have guests that will be coming from other cities or states. Also, this would provide convenience for your guests, eliminate stress and pressure during the event, and ensure everyone enjoys the occasion.

3. Food, catering services

There are various Dallas wedding caterers that offer different kinds of food and delicious menus for any number of guests. Often, food served during weddings is associated with the overall style and theme of the event and/or reflects a specific cultural tradition of the couple.

Catering for the wedding should be booked as early as possible since the couple will also have to sample the dishes, dessert, and wine before the wedding to ensure that everything is to the couple’s standards.

4. Invitations

In addition deciding the wedding venue and caterer, invitations should also be prepared months before the wedding to ensure sufficient time for distribution. Similarly with the food, invitations often reflect the wedding’s color scheme and overall theme. Depending on the design of the invitation, it usually takes several weeks for printing so it is highly suggested to accomplish this as early as possible.

5. Wedding attire

The wedding gown is often considered the main attraction in every wedding. The wedding dress typically highlights the bride’s natural qualities and tends to match the overall formality of the wedding. The groom and groomsmen’s attire should compliment each other and may also reflect the wedding’s theme through small details such as ties or handkerchiefs. Also, the groom’s attire should be unique, allowing the groom to be easily distinguished from the groomsmen and the rest of the guests.

6. Photographer

Since this is one occasion that no one wants to forget, it is highly suggested to hire a professional photographer or videographer. While there is an endless number of professional photographers and videographers to choose from, looking for one at least several months before the wedding would ensure the couple of booking the best photographer for their wedding.Some weddings provide disposable cameras for guests to use throughout the reception for a more personalized photo album. These are still usually combined with professional shots–that way none of the guests have to focus too hard on taking photos and can have as much fun as possible.

7. Florist

Flowers are also considered an attraction in every wedding and similarly with the attire, invitations, and venue, flowers often match the overall theme and style of the wedding. Aside from the bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres, flowers are also often used as table centerpieces and accessories for the venue.

Aside from these, other secondary aspects of a wedding that should be addressed include the music for the ceremony and the reception, attendants’ gifts, guest book, the reception program and other favors for the guests. Some couples also undergo a pre and post wedding pictorial that are sometimes included in the editing of their wedding video. Weddings are a special event in one’s life and should be truly unforgettable regardless of how it is celebrated or prepared.

Creating an event on Facebook

Promoting special events in Dallas on Facebook is very simple and easy. The application for creating events is specifically designed to help people plan and promote their parties very easily and with utmost comfort and convenience. If you have not yet used the events application on Facebook, below is a quick step-by-step guide.

1.Click the “Create an Event” button on the events application page on Facebook

2. Provide basic information about your event including name of event, location of your event, and the start and end time. If your event is at an established venue, it will likely already have a “page” and should be tagged accordingly. This allows users to find the venue space and look at a map much easier.

3. Do not forget to adjust privacy options for your event! You wouldn’t want unknown people showing up on your party, right? There are many different levels of privacy offered by Facebook depending on which kind of account you create the event from:

Personal Facebook settings

• Public – seen by everyone and everyone can invite whoever they want

• Private – only seen by people you’ve invited; will not show up in the timeline of people you have invited; best for when planning surprise parties

Public “Page” (Company pages, places, etc.,)

• Public – seen by everyone, open for invitations, can be linked publicly; great for Dallas concerts, product launches, and conferences

Group

• Depending on your group privacy settings, the event you create will typically match. Groups are either Public, Closed or Private. Private and Closed groups automatically default to creating Private events. If the event it made from within the group, it will automatically invite everyone in the group. This setting can be extremely helpful to get an event started–but it important to be conscious of the privacy settings, as these can highly affect interaction and potential guests.

4.Include more details about the event; a catchy photo and description are helpful.

5. Be sure to modify particular “rules” for your event page. You can decide to show those who have RSVPed, allow attendees to write on the event wall and allow people to invite friends.

6. Once all is set about your event, you can now start inviting friends!

Furthering promotions for your event

If you want to maximize exposure for your event, especially for concerts in Dallas or other special events in which attendance highly affects the success of the event–ads may be an excellent option.

Facebook makes it extremely easy for people to create and post ads with its step-by-step instructions through Ad Manager. Be sure to specify the specific event in your Destination field to ensure people will be directed to the event page directly after clicking on your ad.

To further ensure people will click on your ad and consider attending your event, below are some helpful tips:

1. Pay special attention to your keyword and demographic targeting.
2. Specifically choose people with whom you’ll share your event; ensure that they are someone who would most likely attend the event and that they have lots of friends and contacts to spread the word about your event
3. Choose a convincing title for your event, one that will surely grasp the attention of its readers. Make it easy to remember, share and tag but not too long so that users have trouble searching for it.
4. Keep conversation flowing through your events page, post constantly on the Events wall, and chat with people visiting and commenting about the event; depending on the privacy level of your event, each comment you and your friends make on the event wall can be shown potential attendees’ news feeds; thereby, increasing exposure to your event.

Facebook is not just for socializing and keeping up with your friends and families. It also offers massive advertising and promotional opportunities if you know how to maximize its potential. Gilley’s Dallas venues South Side Music Hall, The Loft and Palladium Ballroom all effectively use Facebook events to advertise for concerts and other public special events in Dallas.

What is a Gobo?

Basically used to create a silhouette, gobos are either made up of metal or glass inserted into the focal center or the “gate” of a spotlight to create different light patterns and/or special effects. Gobos can project any design or pattern including abstract shapes, signs, and company logos, which make it perfect for promoting brands and products especially in product launches and conventions in Dallas.

Gobos were originally used in the theater, film, and television industries before reaching the events and entertainment industry. Even today, gobos (of a different sort) are being used in photography as flags and cookies, which are placed in the light’s path to alter the lighting.

There are basically three types of gobos used in the events held in various Dallas venues: the metal gobo, glass gobo, and full color and dichroic gobos. Metal gobos, which are traditionally used along with stage lights, are metal discs with patterned cut outs. A glass gobo, on the other hand, is made from glass with designs etched using aluminum or other coating. Unlike metal gobos, which use metal tags to create designs, the use of appropriate coating in glass gobos makes it easier for designers to create complex patterns, images, and logos.

Full color and dichroic gobos are also made from glass but project images and patterns with partial or full colors. Unfortunately, because of the wide variety of techniques and coatings used to project colored images, full color and dichroic gobos are expensive and fragile.

Why use gobos for your corporate event?

Gobos are most commonly used in corporate events and conventions in Dallas because of the massive branding and advertising opportunities it generates. Aside from transforming your event by giving it the appropriate atmosphere and aura, gobos provide a unique way to promote your brand that will surely not be missed by any of your guests. Gobos are highly flexible and work perfectly well with various event themes and specific types of entertainment.

The images projected through gobos could be directed in almost any space of your Dallas venue: on the dance floor, on the wall, at the stage, at the side of a building, a prepared backdrop and many other surfaces…so, let your imagination run wild.

Using gobos at corporate events and conventions can help attract attention to your brand that can generate massive leads and sales. The benefits of using gobos overwhelminglyoverweigh their costs.

Gobos are more than just a tool for decoration or to improve the setting of your venue. They most often used to promote a certain brand or product especially in corporate and business events. It doesn’t just transform the venue and set a mood or atmosphere for your event. Gobos promote messages and because they are so visual and impressive, they leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Choosing colors for a party can often be more difficult than finding ways to incorporate them. Venues can be decorated easily by using colored linens, lights, and flowers. Dallas venues are fairly easy to decorate since they often offer large spaces with high ceilings. Venues in Dallas are also usually designed to use neutral colors so as to offer more flexibility and convenience when decorating.

Although colors are just another aspect of the party’s design and decorations, it is highly significant because of its huge effect on the overall success of any party.  If a party theme has already been decided, choosing colors for the party would be less difficult as it can be based on the party’s central theme. On the other hand, if a theme hasn’t been chosen, a defined color palette can set the tone for the rest of the party decorations. Working with a color theme will help you make decisions about the decorations, table settings, lighting, and linens used during the event.

Without a defined party theme to guide color choices, narrowing down colors can be difficult. Considering the endless list of available hues to mix and match, defining complimentary, appropriate colors can be difficult–even with the help of a Dallas event planner. To help simplify this process, below are some useful tips:

1. Use two or more colors

When decorating, it is always best to use two or more colors. It makes an event more exciting and visually appealing. Finding complimentary colors can be difficult, but there are plenty of services to help–even iPhone apps. If hesitant whether two colors match, a single color CAN be used provided it is highlighted by different shades of that color.

2. Remember the colors of the rainbow: R-O-Y-G-B-I-V

If planning to use two or more different colors, choose colors that are positioned beside each other in the colors of the rainbow (R-O-Y-G-B-I-V). Usually, the colors that are positioned right beside each other in the rainbow are complimentary and look good together.

3. Complimentary colors are always a perfect match

Aside from colors that are located beside each other, those colors that stand opposite the other on the color wheel are also perfect matches. They look good together especially in decorations. Some complimentary colors may not seemingly match at first glance, however after longer exposure certain colors start to compliment each other nicely. Be sure to use the color palette throughout the decorations and whenever possible (such as table settings, wall decorations, backdrop, invitations, centerpieces, and others).

4. Don’t forget neutrals!

Neutrals are colors too and are easy matches for any difficult color palette. So when looking for an easy and safe way to choose colors for a party or a special event in Dallas choose any color and pair with a neutral color. For best results, use a lighter color to accentuate and highlight a neutral color.

The overall design and decoration of your party can greatly affect your guests’ first impression, so choose complimentary colors that best suit your overall party theme (if you have one) or your personality. Make sure that your colors are reflected in every aspect and element of your party: invitations, linen, decorations, lightings, and others, to demonstrate complete and pleasing party decorations. As a result, your party will be a success and truly unforgettable.

The reality is that you can expect Friday and Saturday nights to fill up first, often six months or further in advance. Many corporate events in Dallas are annual and look to repeat the event at more or less the same time each year. With annual events and holiday weekends occupying a substantial percentage of the available weekend dates, the remaining days are in high demand.

The larger the event, the more advisable it is to book far in advance. Conventions and large corporate events are difficult to arrange without having a firm date and a clear understanding of what’s possible at the host venue. It is not uncommon for a corporate event to book a full year or more in advance; especially if it is booked in conjunction with a convention. Renting equipment, hiring workers and planning décor, production and even the event schedule all revolve around the way the facility your event is hosted at is arranged, staffed and managed. It’s a very good idea to select the venue first and to make all your specific event plans after your date and your venue are booked.

Smaller, more personal events like weddings don’t have to be booked quite as far in advance. Weddings are usually booked one to two full seasons in advance, so book your wedding the Spring before the Fall of the wedding and so on. Other personal celebrations like weddings, bar mitzvahs for example or birthday celebrations should, ideally, be booked around the same amount of time. However, if your celebration doesn’t fall on a weekend date you may be able to delay booking longer.

The moral is, book your events far, far in advance if possible. Think a year out or more for corporate events, or at the very least 6 months ahead. You will need that much time to arrange the other event details like décor, menus, sponsors and who knows what else. For personal celebrations, the window can be three to six months; but plan further out if you need a weekend or holiday date.

What Is The Goal Of Your Event?

When planning an event it’s very easy to get distracted by the little details like making décor arrangements and selecting the right Dallas caterer, bar service, entertainment and everything else. Every event has some agenda, from the simplest things like celebrating a person on some occasion to complex business strategies like promoting a brand message.

Don’t lose sight of your goals while you find ways to entertain your guests and decorate your event space. Remember that behind all the moving parts and many costs of putting on a classy event, your goal still needs to be met. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes more really is better. It’s up to you as the event planner to decide how to make the biggest impression at your event, without losing focus on what’s important.

What Venue Is The Best Fit For Your Event?

Every venue is different. Every event is different too. The venue you select for your event needs to be easily accessible from highways, have plenty of room inside for your guests, lots of staff to serve your guests and the ability to accommodate any special requirements for your event. Venue staff should be friendly, knowledgeable and eager to serve guests, presenting themselves equally well at high volume times as they do when there is nothing going on. Consider what your guests might plan to do before and after your event and find a Dallas venue in a location that adds to “the draw” of your event.

Have You Made An Event Plan?

Writing out exactly what you want to have happen at event is an excellent way to make sure it actually happens. Plan out every detail and allow for the unexpected to occur. Schedules never run exactly on time, so create opportunities to gain or lose time as you need it. Socializing can occupy as little or as much time during your event as you need, so turn on some music and let people drink and talk for a bit in every so often.

Making a budget is the first step in understanding what your money can do for you. With that in mind, writing out your entire plan makes it easy to go through your plan and identify costs for everything. Similarly, the process of writing it down will help you think through event clearly and identify any gaps or potential problems in advance. Once the plan is actually in the works, walk through the steps of your event physically several times to make sure everything can happen just the way you want. Each step from arriving at the venue, to valet parking, to entrance to entertainment and all the way till your guests have left should be checked and re-checked. Success in event planning comes from being over-prepared and well rehearsed.

What Is The Timeline Of The Event?

Every event happens on some sort of a schedule. Most of the time, events flow fairly predictably. Arrive at 8pm, drink till 9pm, entertainment till 10pm with a brand message 30 minutes from the end. …And so on. While it’s not a bad idea to start planning your event with that basic flow in mind, don’t be afraid to expand on the basic concept with your own special spin.

Remember that not everyone shows up on time, so allow at least an hour for guests to arrive and even up to the first third of the event’s total running time. Also, keep in mind that not everyone will stay for the entire event, so don’t bother trying to deliver your message after about two-thirds the way through the event.

Will Your Guests “Get The Message”?

Every event should build towards a big moment, culminating in a way that drives your message home with your audience. Play off emotion and get everyone excited and having the most fun in the moments just before you deliver your message. Then take full advantage of your big moment and do whatever you can to make a personal connection with your audience. Find a way to get your guests to identify with your message personally. If you represent a brand then find a way to humanize the brand by getting the key people in front of and interacting with the audience.

Can You Repeat Your Event In The Future?

Not every event is going to happen again, but if you plan on making events happen again ever in your life try to capture everything you do so you know how to go it again in the future. Keep good notes and look for opportunities to build long-term relationships with venues and other vendors.

Having a theme is a great way to tie everything together and to compartmentalize the event so that its easier to improve on in the future. Build on your successes and avoid repeating the mistakes that you’re guaranteed to make. No one is perfect…the first time.

Loading in for Partyfest 2012

Decorating the booth with merchandise and mouthwatering food photos!

Folks who’ve been to Gilley’s before may recognize the Gilley’s General Store which has housed t-shirts, koozies, cowboy hats and more branded Gilley’s items for several years now. Commandeered for Partyfest, the general store gave the booth an element of our traditional, rustic Gilley’s charm. The treats created by G Texas Catering and some excellent photos of our food, provided by local Dallas photographer Scott Hartzler, created a presentation sure to draw a hungry crowd of Partyfest attendees.

G Texas Catering Preparing Appetizers

The Dallas Market Hall is a spacious facility located off of 35 and Market Center in downtown Dallas and it has been the home of Partyfest for the last several years. We were fortunate enough to get unloaded and set up early and I had the opportunity to wander around and photograph the other notable booths at this year’s trade show. The showroom floor was filled with great brands, both newcomers and old hands at the event.

On Stage at Partyfest 2012

On Stage always goes for over-the-top production quality.

Our friends at Visit Dallas

The Granada Theater

Drapery & Lighting used to create a stunning presentation

You don't see this every day

One of the biggest displays at Partyfest

The Video Game Truck

When Partyfest opened to the public at 11am the friendly staff of Gilley’s Dallas event specialists, caterers and management were on-hand to greet visitors and answer questions. After a short time a line formed for the appetizers prepared by G Texas Catering, drawing more and more people to the booth to meet with us. We enjoyed the opportunity to meet new people with exciting events and to network with the many fantastic event planners, venue owners and vendors that attended Partyfest 2012.

G Texas Catering at Partyfest 2012

We brought extra…

A truly impressive display by G Texas Catering

Meat Balls – G Texas Catering Appetizers

Friendly Gilley's Dallas event specialists

The people who make it possible… the staff of Gilley's Dallas and G Texas Catering.

We brought in 2012 with a bang at Partyfest and we’re looking forward to a great year and an even better presentation at next year’s Partyfest trade show.

What is the purpose of your event?

Your invitation should clearly display the overall theme and purpose for your event. An invitation celebrating a company’s 50th year in business will likely be very different from a corporate sponsored concert or barbecue cookout. The theme and colorings of the event should match the invitation. Using graphics and easily recognizable patterns may help set a tone. If your attendees have to spend more than a minute looking over the invitation for vital information: time, date, purpose, etc., you may want to consider a redesign.

If there is a special focus on a charity or new venture, placing valuable information about the specific reasonings for the event may entice people to feel a personal connection to the affair, making them more likely to attend.

Who will be attending?

If the event is largely targeted at employees, a more personable tone may be acceptable. However, if you are attempting to attract new clients or your event is simply serving as a promotional tool, your tone may need adjusting.

Is the event family friendly? Targeted towards children? Knowing your audience is one of the most important pieces of advice for marketing and appealing to your audience. If your design relies mostly on visuals, use commonly understood knowledge or cultural points of your audience to display your message in the most efficient manner.

Consider the venue space

Not only does your venue space set limits for the number of people who can attend, it may limit the type of attendees. Hosting an event in a bar or other age limited area is an important thing to note–especially if your theme seems ambiguous. Will you offer a valet service? Dallas can be especially limiting without a car, so you may need to note alternative parking options if there is not an adequate valet or nearby service. Luckily, there are many Dallas venues and convention centers with large parking lots.

Set a budget

With so many paper and ink options, designing your invitations may get really complicated. Having a set budget can help restrict certain options. If you are upfront and honest with your designer and printer about your budgetary constraints, they may be more willing to show you acceptable alternative options instead of completely inappropriate selections.

Hire a professional

Unless you are familiar with the proper numbers for image resolution for adequate printing quality and many other design tools, it may be more cost and time effective to hire a designer or event planner.  Invitations essentially represent your event in a confined, tangible space, so the presentation should match the importance of the event.

Consider integrating new media

While a paper invitation will always feel special and personalized, the convenience of a specialized web space advertising your event is still very important. Some businesses have started to choose entirely electronic invitations, creating websites or subdomains to advertise the event. Websites allow for more personal interaction and allow you to track data (visits, RSVPs) extremely easily. Certain events still traditionally require a paper invitation, to which you can always recreate an appropriately matching online webspace. Integrating social media, however, should be used only in certain situations. Inviting clients to a corporate dinner party via a Facebook event might not be the more appropriate avenue.

Mark Hanland, the regional Chevy chief marketing director expressed his goals for the event:

We hope to discover some terrific acoustic, ‘indie’ talent right under our noses. Great music doesn’t always have to be turned up to eleven. We’re looking for outstanding singer-songwriters who can make big musical moments happen on a simpler, smaller scale.

Despite being a corporate event, the enthusiasm of the performers and audience helped create a really fun, energetic evening. The Loft’s intimate atmosphere provided a perfect space to highlight the acoustic, subdued nature of the artists.

Aryn Michelle won the competition and was awarded a $100 gift certificate, a one-year subscription to an online gig-booking service, and a brand new acoustic-electric guitar from Taylor.

Check out this video from her performance at the contest:

Here is Aryn Michelle’s entry video:

A huge thanks to all the Twilight fans that came out and especially Kim Ritzenthaler for the amazing photographs.