APPRECIATION never goes out of style. Yet, what's in style in tokens of appreciation — promotional items, awards, event gifts — is quick to change. Smart event planners know that coveted giveaways not only demonstrate due gratitude, they also win...

IN the special event business since 1973, Andrea Michaels — president of Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based Extraordinary Events — has seen the business grow from a little-known specialty to a full-blown profession, and her Gala Awards program for Januar...

BEHOLD the sports-theme bar mitzvah, perennial favorite of coming-of-age Jewish males from Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine. With such demand for athletic ambience on the mitzvah-party circuit, it's the enterprising professional who is able to ...

It's easier being green with Melbourne, Fla.-based DrivingGreen.com, a Web site that allows environmentally conscious companies to offset an event's carbon dioxide emissions. A calculator on the site allows customers to determine the pounds of ha...

As we're wrapping up this issue, our research department is wrapping up a survey of our February edition. The department sent hundreds of questionnaires to our readers asking what articles are useful and what topics we should invest more time on...

PARTY and event rental companies often find that their special skills are still in demand even after the party is over. Party Reflections of Charlotte, N.C., has grown from being a sponsor of a bridal show to taking over the show. Here, company p...

One of the fastest growing disciplines of event expertise is found in the little-publicized but highly populated world of academia. This specific market — where planners face unique challenges in adhering to protocol and budgetary restrictions — ...

For a roaring good time, Wild Wonders Productions, located in Carlsbad, Calif., sends exotic animals with knowledgeable trainers to events around the U.S. The licensed and insured company cares for some 75 “animal ambassadors,” including an allig...