Is it worth spending the money to host a designated event for your small business or an upcoming product? Are product launch events only for big corporations?
Today, I have Ali Pena on Wayne Liew Dot Com Entrepreneur Interviews. Ali is the CEO of Forums Event Design & Production and in this interview, she shared with us the ins and outs as well as some tips for holding an event for your business.
This interview is a little long but I’m sure you will benefit a lot from it. Information that Ali shared are just too good to pass on if you have been pondering about hosting your own company or business event.
Let’s start the interview. Shall we?
Ali Pena, CEO of Forums Event Design & Production Interview
Wayne: Hi Ali, welcome to Wayne Liew Dot Com Entrepreneur Interviews. It’s my pleasure to have you as an interview guest.
Ali: Thanks Wayne, I’m excited to be speaking with you!
Wayne: Ali, I understand that you are the CEO of Forums Event Design & Production. Before we jump right in to the questions that I have for you today. Can you briefly introduce yourself and talk a little bit about your background so that my blog readers can have an idea of who you are?
Ali: Sure, Forums Event Design & Production is a corporate event planning company that specializes in Latin American & US Hispanic markets. We provide A-Z planning services for clients like Dell, HP, Telefonica, etc. As the CEO of the company, I’m in charge of growing the company and expanding into new industries. I’m also responsible for marketing the company and shaping our image.
Wayne: Let’s talk a little bit more about the company. I know that it is an event planning company but can you elaborate a little bit more on what role does the company play in event planning and how does it differ from other event planning firms?
Ali: We provide all the services necessary to execute the logistics of an event, from the design of the invitation, to getting the word out and confirming participation, to planning out all the logistics – what food will be served, how will the event be set up, how will registration be organized, arrangements for speakers, etc. We also help coordinate decor & entertainment, promotional materials, giveaways- the list goes on.
Ali: In essence, what we do is provide support on every single detail and need that our clients have in the planning of their events. What differentiates us from our competition is our focus. We specialize in Latin American markets, so if a Fortune 500 company needs a conference or series of event in Latin America, we can help them. The same goes for companies that are based in Latin America that want to bring their events to the US. We have years of experience working in the region so we can offer our clients resources that other firms without this focus can’t.
Wayne: Yes, this is one thing that stood out when I was doing my research for this interview. What if someone wish to hold a general event without targeting the Latin America region? Can they seek assistance from your company as well or you guys just focus on clients wishing to hold an event in Latin America?
Ali: They can definitely contact us. We plan a lot of events in American markets because our clients are always looking to bring groups here. For example, we’ve planned event in Colorado, Houston, Orlando and more. Our strength is in Latin America but the work of event planning is the same across markets. Working in Latin American markets is sometimes tougher because they don’t have the same resources that are available in the states. We often find coordinating event here easier.
Wayne: Interesting… Another interesting aspect that caught my eyes about the company is that, correct me if I’m wrong, the leadership team comprises of your sisters and it seems like each of you has different but complementary skill set. How did the formation of the leadership team happens? I mean, how did you and your sisters come up with an idea of starting an event management company?
Ali: The company was founded by our mother, who was in charge of events for a computer distributor before she was laid off. My sister joined the company soon after it was founded, but I was working in advertising and did not join until a few years later.
Ali: My sister, who is my twin, is very strong at math and analytics. She’s very passionate about numbers.She runs the company’s finances and keeps us in check, money wise. I am a creative type and I have the vision for where I would like us to go and what kind of company I would like us to be. We balance each other out. My mother is a doer, so she brings a strength in execution to the mix.
Ali: A lot of people get the idea that working for family means that you get a lot of breaks and your job is easier. I would say that the opposite is true. Both my sister and I had to work hard and prove ourselves before we assumed leadership of the company. Now, as a team, the three of us work great together.
Wayne: That’s nice with a lesson to be noted. 
Personally, I have seen businesses trying to host events, big or small, on their own and some have seen a reasonable amount of success while others encountered failures. Why do you think employing an event production company like yours can help boost the success rate?
Ali: Because usually the person in charge of the events does not have the time. Our clients have large workloads that they have to deal with on a daily basis. An event will fall to the bottom of the list.
Ali: Planning an event, when you’re doing it right, takes a lot of thinking about the details. If you’ve got a long list of things to do, your focus is going to be to get the event done as fast as possible. We come in with a complete focus on making the event a success because it is our only work.
Ali: I have made it a policy for all of our planners to pore over every single detail and come up with the most efficient ways to execute the plans and then take that to our client. We become a member of our client’s team. He or she doesn’t have to worry about anything because we’ve already thought ahead for them.
Wayne: Cool. Ali, can you let us know what are the two most popular types of event and what they can achieve for companies hosting them?
Ali: For us, the two most popular types of events are multi-day conferences and product or training seminars.
Ali: When it comes to multi-day conferences, they allow companies to sell by networking, giving their customers/ partners valuable information and also the opportunity for their sales force to have one-on-one time with the customers. We’ve had events where multi-million dollar sales were closed. They also allow customers to get excited about your brand. Once customers have a chance to experience what you have to offer, hands on, and see the passion that your sales team has for your product/ services, they walk away wanting to be part of that, which ultimately leads to loyalty and a good feeling about the company.
Ali: The product/training seminars are great because they give customers one-on-one time with the company’s sales teams. We recently coordinated a product seminar where the attendees were allowed to look at how the product was made, touch it and ask questions about it directly to the salesperson. It was very successful and resulted in a number of sales for the company.
Wayne: If a company or organization would like to work with you guys to host an event, what will be the process that they need to go through after getting in touch with your company?
Ali: We’ll first schedule a conference call or meeting to determine the client’s needs. After that, we’ll present a quote, usually with a few options as to what can be done, and discuss the quote with the client. If the client is ok with everything, they’ll sign a project agreement and we’ll get started on the work right away.
Ali: What’s most important is to make sure to come to us with a budget that way we can keep our ideas within the price that a client has for the event or series of events. We’re real big on budgeting and are used to working within the funds that our clients have available.
Wayne: Staying within budgets is definitely a big advantage, especially if a particular client is trying to host his or her own event for the first time. Forums Event Design & Production’s portfolio features big brands like Dell, Apple, Telefonica, HP and some other well known companies. Does the company accept small and medium size enterprises as clients and if yes, how will the process be different as compared to a client with a big brand?
Ali: Of course. We’ve worked with small and medium size companies as well. There is no difference in the process. We pay the same amount of attention to our smaller clients as we do to the big brands.
Wayne: That’s great! Let’s say a company has an idea of hosting or organizing an event, what will be your Top 3 things that they should pay attention to or do you have any tips for them?
Ali: 1) Budget: They should make sure that the funds they have available will cover or accommodate the ideas that they for it, and their wants and needs.
Ali: 2) Experience: They need to make sure that everything they are planning for the event revolves around giving their audience a good experience with the brand. It should give them a better understand of what the brand can offer and should be memorable enough that the audience walks away with a feeling of wanting more.
Ali: 3) Results: Companies should be setting goals as to what they want to accomplish with the event and then measuring the results. A lot of clients to measure attendee opinions or look at what they accomplished for the spend. It’s important to know what you achieved so that you can improve the event for next time and use that information to keep your marketing going with post event communication, special offers, etc.
Ali: You have to see your events as a dialogue with your audience. It’s important to keep raising the bar so that they know that you’re hearing them, and so they keep coming back to you.
Wayne: That’s is so true. Ali, I am sure that my blog readers will have a lot to gain from this interview. Before we round this interview up, are there any things that you would like to add that I didn’t cover with my questions?
Ali: I would just reiterate that events are a great opportunity for you to build a relationship with your customers. You should make sure that they offer a great brand experience and that you extend the life of the event by following them up with post event communication.
Wayne: Thanks for the tip, How can people get in touch with you or your company if they are interested to learn more about the services or just to get extra information on hosting an event for their business?
Ali: They can visit our website at www.forumseventdesign.com. Our contact information is located on the site. They can ask to speak to me directly if they have any questions or would like us to quote a project.
Wayne: Awesome. Ali Pena, CEO of Forums Event Design & Production, I guess that’s all we have time for today. Thanks again for doing this interview with me. I really appreciate it.
Ali: Thanks to you, Wayne. I think you’re doing a great job with your blog and I’m happy to be a part of it.
Ideas on Business Events and Event Production
As a small business owner or an entrepreneur, have you ever thought of holding events or product launch ceremonies to get the word out about your business or products?
What are some of the experience or ideas that you have came across regarding hosting business events or product launches?
Feel free to share them in the comment section below.
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