A key reason for satisfying your clients is to expand your network. Positive client feedback helps your business gain referrals, leading to more potential future clients.

But that said, keeping your clients happy is not just about delivering a great event. Clients expect that. You need to satisfy them with a sound planning and preparation process. Clients want someone who is reliable from day one.

So, how do you instill confidence in your clients from start to finish?

Get to know what they do. Immerse yourself in their brand, their target market, their marketing strategies. Listen to their opinion wholeheartedly. This will prove you are willing to cooperate openly and that you’re interested in helping them find the best event solutions for their brand.

Be sincere. Be honest in everything you do and put your heart into it. If you’re sincere, you clients will know and acknowledge it.

It’s not always about the money. Money is important, yes. It’s your bread-and-butter after all. But maintaining clients, making them happy, building and keeping their trust are all equally vital. At the end of the day, it’s about delivering what your clients expect. Importantly, it’s about your company’s reputation.

Know how to give back. Does the client have a charity? Show your support by donating. Do they have a favourite snack? Drop by the office to give just that. In this business, friendship beyond an event is also very important.

At Zapstars, we aim to extend beyond a professional client-vendor relationship. We strive to maintain friendships and we truly value the relationships we build with our clients.

We’ve been in the business for a very long time and our clients can attest to that.

View our work, see what our partners say, and get to know us more.

So how can you avoid equipment issues ruining your events? Here are a few pointers to help you deal with those issues and make all your events hassle-free.

Research. You’ve put every effort into event design, production setup, event tech, audience marketing, and even influencers attending the event. But all of these need the right tech equipment to function smoothly.

The scope of equipment you’ll need depends on the size of your venue. Check the power outlets available. Of course, check modes of connection. Is the WIFI signal strong enough?

Create your own checklist. Some event professionals might leave everything technical to the tech team because they have a whole lot of other important stuff on their plate. But if things do go wrong, the tech team won’t save the event. You’re ultimately the one in charge of the smooth running of your event.

Create a list of all the equipment needed for the whole event. Note how many microphones, projectors, LED screens, tablets you’ll need. If you aren’t sure, talk to your tech supplier beforehand. This will make the preparations a lot easier.  

Check for alternatives and backups. Even if you think have all the right equipment, you need to consider other alternatives in case what you have doesn’t work well with the venue. And of course the power supply is important. Always check your options and have backups in case of problems.

Test your equipment! Incompatibility and other technical problems can cause delays so the last thing you want is to find this out during the event. Allow plenty of time beforehand to run a fail test of all the equipment you will be using. You may need other equipment to get any incompatible items to work with each other.

Hire a trusted supplier. After researching for your event, you’re ready to hire your tech supplier. You need a supplier who understands all the technical aspects of your event and can deliver fully-functional, up-to-date equipment. Before hiring anyone, check their background, read about the events they did and confirm their credibility.

Zapstars Productions offers innovative audio-visual and production solutions for all types of events. Whether small, informal gatherings or major award shows, we can help you manage production budgets, organise manpower needs, set-up venues and deliver technically seamless productions.

Contact us today to learn more.

Zapstars Productions’ owner and technical director, Jamie McEwen, and his crew are proud to look back over the past year. We’ve supported some standout events such as Krispy Kreme’s new store grand opening in Henry Deane Plaza, conversations with Naomi Klein at the City Recital Hall and the Sydney Peace Prize held in the Sydney Town. We’re also privileged to have met countless events professionals in the industry, Australia wide.

Zapstars Productions entered the events arena in 2007. With growing expertise, we commenced full-blown operations in 2014, providing production and technical solutions. From corporate events to award shows, we’ve worked hard to find the right solutions for our clients.

It’s always been our goal to make our clients’ lives easier by providing end-to-end management. So beyond production needs, Zapstars also brings together event specialists and suppliers to help meet client demands.

Over the years the Australian events industry has changed beyond recognition, with advances in technology constantly providing new and experiential events to audiences. While demand and innovation may change, our aim at Zapstars remains the same: to keep pace with the events evolution and provide the best possible production solutions.

Above all, Zapstars values its clients dearly. We believe two-way communication is essentially what lies behind a successful event. That’s why we value what our clients have to say. By listening and communicating, we can continue to meet expectations.

We’re excited for the future and the challenges it will surely bring. Blessed with a crew always ready to provide its very best, we’re excited to embrace every new event trend. We’re excited to meet new clients and create memorable events with them.

Zapstars Productions is here to stay, thanks to our wonderful clients who continue to trust us and believe in us.

But there is one thing every event has in common: when it comes to promotion, you need engagement and most certainly you need to create that ’buzz’ of anticipation.

These days, technology and social media have made promotion, engagement, and exposure so much easier than the old, traditional methods of promoting an event. You just need to know how best to leverage the available tools.

In this blog, we’ve highlighted some ways you can use social media to create that buzz. Read on…

1. Engage: Aside from actively promoting an event, grab your audience’s attention by ‘crowd sourcing’. Get them involved. Ask for their opinion. What would they ideally like to see during the event? A promise to act on the best of their suggestions for the event can help boost attendance.

2. Intrigue: Use social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Eventbrite and the like to reach your target market – your potential attendees. Post teasers, photos or phrases to grab attention. Using a variety of social media channels gives additional exposure, especially in search engines such as Google.

3. Refresh: Don’t just rely on your initial promotion. Keep the engagement alive. One way you could do this is to run a simple competition through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to create even more interest in the event. For example, you could ask the audience to guess the speaker or the special guests by providing a cryptic clue or two. Offer free tickets or other incentives as prizes.

4. Stream: Facebook has a great live streaming tool. During the event (or in the run-up to it) live-stream what the audience can expect. Tease them with glimpses of what’s coming. It’s likely not all your target market will have the time to go to your event; but if you create enough hype, you can convert the merely ’interested’ into actual attendees.

These are just four ways you can create event buzz through social media. Do you have a novel idea for hooking potential attendees? Share it with us by posting a comment!

It’s more than experience and qualifications. To keep an event running smoothly, a specialist must also be able to think on their feet, adapt to last minute changes or glitches and keep their cool under stress.

How do you, the event professional, find that excellence? Here’s what you should look for:

Adaptable to changes. An event is fluid. There could be last-minute changes to music or running order, equipment malfunctions or other technical glitches. Your specialist must be prepared to deal with the unexpected. During the planning stage, all possible scenarios should be discussed so everyone is well prepared.

Not afraid to ask questions. A specialist will ask lots of questions before the big day. It’s a good indicator they want to be sure they have everything covered down to the finest detail.

Always up for the challenge. A true specialist wants to exceed expectations and will step up to overcome any challenge. Will the venue be difficult to light effectively? Will musicians and technicians have trouble arranging equipment? A specialist will always find a suitable solution.

Loyal clients. Are previous clients happy to recommend the specialist? A professional with a loyal client base is a good measure of great service and proof that clients are always satisfied with their work. In turn, the specialist is equally loyal to their clients and has built an ongoing relationship through mutual trust. This loyalty and trust is the basis of event success.

A magical touch and an energetic spirit. An excellent specialist knows how to weave some magic into any event. They have exceptional energy and channel it to great effect both in the run-up to and during the event.

Event specialists are constantly learning and searching for new ideas, ready to step up the level of excellence at future events.

If you’re looking for a specialist to make your next event special, give us a call. It’s our mission to make every event amazing.

Email sayhi@zapstarsproductions.com

Ph (02) 80069592

Mob 0423 383 649

These days, Event and Technology go hand-in-hand.

Not too long ago, when staging an event, a marketing team (for example) had to simply setup a venue, hire a caterer and audio visual technicians, and invite entertainers or speakers to make ‘inspirational’ presentations.

Today, if your event’s not creating a buzz, then you’re probably not evolving. Apart from the glitz and glam, everything nowadays is hi-tech; and yes, this is actually a good thing. Technology has transformed the event industry landscape and it’s one of the best things that ever happened!

Over the last five years, we’ve seen major changes in how people from the events industry handle events. Gone are the days of brochures, heavy projectors, DIY props and huge equipment. The digital world – the internet, and other technological developments – are taking over.

The people working behind this ever-growing industry adapted to the changes quite easily. Back then, the demand for superior event production was high. So the producers trained to deliver superiority. Hi-tech has made hi-end production much easier, which benefits both customers and providers.

Social media is another factor that’s brought about change. Moving away from traditional marketing, professionals are now keen to target audiences using social media. As the platform provides demographic information, it’s easy to target relevant audiences. The audience, too, has higher expectations when it comes to an event, anticipating more interest and engagement.

Looking back, there was no such thing as ’event technology‘. Now, with technology in widespread use, the term is actually one of the most used by people working in the field of events. When pitching for an event, for example, clients are keen to hear what the supplier offers in terms of their event technology.

It’s definitely safe to say that these technological advancements are beneficial to the events industry. They help deliver enhanced experience and set the tone and mood for event attendees. As the technology continues to advance, it will no doubt change the way we communicate too. So it’s important to embrace the changes and make them work for the benefit of your event-related business.

Change is constant and change is good in almost all industries. We must just learn to embrace it.

Soon going to Perth.

The international model and TV personality has signed on to promote the New Zealand Cycle Trail.

In the spot, Gale explores the off-road cycle trails showcasing the great sights New Zealand has to offer including the best of the country’s wine, culture, history, nature and scenery. During her journey on the Otago Central Rail Trail and The Timber Trail.

Biggest Tequila Conference In The Southern Hemisphere

Over the two days, Agave Love gave bartenders the opportunity to hear from a range of expert speakers on topics of tequila, mezcal, raicilla and sotol.

Zapstars Travelled To Singapore For A Week Conference At The Grand Hyatt.

The set up included the Main Plenary, break-out rooms and a product show case area.

The Grand Ballroom features a 6.5-metre ceiling with 3D tetris-patterned features.

Dan Aykroyd sings “The Blues Brothers” live to an exclusive crowed at the Four Session hotel.

Aykroyd, 63, has worked with the biggest names in the business, from Chevy Chase to John Candy and Lily Tomlin.

Zapstars Productions A Partner In Peace At The Sydney Peace Prize.

Australian artist George Gittoes AM has been selected to receive the 2015 Sydney Peace Prize. The Prize was awarded on Tuesday 10 November at Sydney Town Hall by Clover Moore.

Zapstars Productions In Melbourne

A conference that spanned a week in Melbourne’s South Bank. Multiple venues that gave great diversity to the conference.