GOOD CHEAP FAST SERVICE

We offer three kinds of service
GOOD-CHEAP-FAST

Truer words could not be spoken, or printed!
In today’s economy (WOW is that phrase getting old) everybody is looking for a deal. This could not be truer than in the event industry. Corporations, as well as individuals are holding onto the dollar until the last possible minute. Then faced with a deadline fly into action making panic calls and expecting event professionals to hop to and create miracles at a moment’s notice.

“I want fresh, I want new, I want excitement and I need a full proposal by tomorrow at noon!”

Of course we want your business and we are in the service industry to provide service. BUT, READ THE SIGN! As a designer it is my goal to provide you with your complete wish list but it cannot be done overnight without having time to fully research all of my resources.

GOOD service CHEAP won’t be FAST
Give your designer time seek out the best product at the best price, this takes time, but, it will save you money.

GOOD service FAST won’t be CHEAP Without adequate time in normal hours, overtime comes into play as well as second guessing certain costs such as labor and materials. Without the time to figure these I will always estimate high. Another danger is that important items may be overlooked; say a generator or heaters for an outdoor event. This is not a good thing for you.

FAST service CHEAP won’t be GOOD
It takes TIME and MONEY to create an exciting and creative event to rush this and cut corners will ALWAYS show.

I do want to add one more thing: Please be honest with your time-line. I was asked to put together a four day event with very specific needs, with only forty-eight hours notice. The client had, had, had to have it by that time. That was July, the event is in January. I spoke to the client rep in mid October and they still had not made a decision. Honestly, I could have done a better job with the design, with the pricing and with how I felt about the event had I been given a better time line in which to work.

I want to thank my Friend Doc Waldrop of Full Circle Lighting for sharing this photo taken by Chris Bernini.

J Patrick is an event designer based in Atlanta, GA. For more information please visit www.jpatrickdesigns.com

innovations in the dinning market

I WANT THAT!!!
Hotels and restaurants are introducing so much modern dinner and glassware into the market.
There was a time when hotels and restaurants wanted to make you feel at home, all of that is changing. The market has realized that, in order to get the public into the car and go somewhere they have to offer excitement. Now when that burger arrives at the table it may be on a rectangular plate with more room for fries like these at http://www.restaurant-dinnerware.com/. Color is also playing a big role in this new market as well.
Another big innovation is the disappearance of the stem from our wine glasses. Long the custom in Europe, America has finally come on board with interesting shapes for wine glasses. I think this may be a financial savings as well, since these glasses are less likely to break and also much easier to clean.
A trend that has also really caught on is the step away from the huge plates so popular during the late 90’s and early part of the millennium. Now on buffets you will find wonderful small squares, ovals and rounds just perfect for the food at that station. I would like to think that the industry is looking out for the American waistline but, once more I believe it is a win/win for the budget.
My favorite innovation is the coffee cup and saucer (pictured). The Ritz Carlton http://www.ritzcarlton.com/ in Atlanta has brought this clever update into play. The indent in the saucer has been offset so that the cup sits to one side leaving room for a snack and your spoon.
Yep, I am ready to embrace all of these chic changes and bring them home….What will the industry do next to get us excited about food?

Service Equals Marketing

“Successful brands make you feel like somebody”. This is a quote from Blogger/Speaker Chris Bogan.
It could not be more true for marketing and it is also very applicable for events – corporate or social! Look at it this way through the event industry eye: “I want people to feel good because they are using my company”. People feel good when they wear Prada, Hermes, Jimmy Coo and Other designer labels. Don’t you feel good when you put on that special brand you purchased? You acquire a certain confidence and a je ne sais quoi. Your brand and your company should give your customer the same feeling! How do you do this? One word SERVICE.
Service is your best marketing tool, why; it makes your clients talk about you. Great service results in return business and referrals. Great service, which by the way, costs nothing. Its return is worth a fortune. How much business did your last $4,000.00 dollar magazine ad bring in (mine brought nothing). How much did you make on the last event you did that came through a referral?
I was in an office today and saw a slogan on the wall which read “GET IT DONE”. We can all “get it done” can we “get it done RIGHT”? Providing a client with what they ask for is not enough in the 2000s, we have to give the client more and it is so easy to do, and again, it cost nothing. Make sure that every member of your organization is a positive personality and is ready to serve your client. I am not saying that we should let our clients walk all over us but it is important to really listen to the client and own your actions to them.
When your company develops a positive brand the employees and associates will value being linked to that brand. With that, comes a sense of pride your client will recognize and respect and soon the client is experiencing, sometimes subconsciously, the same sense of pride that they are in a relationship with your company…You have become their Prada Attache!
I will say one more thing about service. When you and your company go out of the way to provide great service there will also be the residual of warm fuzzy feelings on your end. You will be feeling that way because your Marketing/Service is working and your profit base is showing it.

The Hotel Palomar Atlanta

The Hotel Palomar Atlanta
The Hotel Palomar is a relatively new hotel in Midtown Atlanta, located on West Peachtree, just south of Seventh Street. It is an intimate boutique hotel with an excellent staff. This review concentrates mainly on the banquet/meeting operation of the hotel.
On Tuesday September first I attended a networking dinner at the Hotel Palomar, in July, I attended a luncheon at the same hotel. On both occasions attendance exceeded one hundred guests and the hotel, on both dates, experienced great difficulty with valet parking. They just do not seem equipped to handle large groups arriving by car. On September first after waiting around the block for fifteen minutes, I left the valet line and found on-street parking a half block from the hotel (for free).
After entering the hotel I was greeted by friendly staff and asked if I needed any assistance and was directed across the lobby to the pre-function area of the hotel. This is a very long relatively narrow hall outside the ballroom. The area was crowded but, for a networking event, ideal. It was very easy to mingle down the way meeting and greeting within easy eye and handshaking distance. I must say, with one hundred sixty guests the room did become a bit warm and close. This is the second event I have attended in a new hotel (the Mansion Buckhead, being the other one) where the AC was not up to par…not good for a hotel in the South.
When the several pairs of Ballroom doors were opened it was very easy to access the ballroom, which is just as long as the hall outside. The room was set with rounds of ten and there was ample room between tables to move about. I believe I was told that the full ballroom is three thousand seven hundred square feet. Due to the length of the room there is a feeling of “hall” to this room as well. Both functions I have attended had presentations requiring screens and sightlines on the far ends of the room are not great.
The wait/service staff is excellent. They were all cordial and pleasant. And handled the room quite well, no problem with crowds here. I was also told that the hotel only does one event at a time insuring great service.
The food on both occasions has been quite good, lite fare but good. There are certain details that make a meal stand out for me. One, the bread at the table, this was a nice nutty crusty bread with good texture, not just a second thought roll. The salad and dressing was original and very flavorful and the beef I was served was tender and warm, Go Kitchen!
After the event a group of us adjourned to the roof bar for socializing and evening cocktails. The roof bar, on the third floor does not offer up great views but has a great courtyard feel to it. Marble tiles are spaced between turf giving a nice Mediterranean feel to the space, the cabanas echo this feeling. A long Aunt Sally’s Southern screen porch gives the impression of an afterthought not completely thought through for design. I understand bugs in the South but this is rather jarring to the entire décor and architecture and once again has that long hall feeling. The evening ended somewhat as it started, with long lines and not enough staff (one cocktail waitress and one bartender for thirty to forty people). It was a Tuesday evening but the hotel was aware of the group being on the property and there simply should have been additional help.
The Palomar Hotel is great if you are doing a group from out of town, not relying on transportation. Book in to one of the 300 plus rooms and enjoy the elevator ride to and from your meetings. Enjoy the roof bar and hope for adequate staffing.
J Patrick is the owner of J Patrick Designs, an event design and planning company based out of Atlanta Georgia www.jpatrickdesigns.com

SHAMELESS PROMOTION

I was asked to do a bit of shameless promotion for the Atlanta Occasions Blog and thought I may as well post it here as well.

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION:

J Patrick Designs prides itself on producing specialty events. A corporate gallery event for five hundred featuring twenty one, free hanging, spandex sculptures, a wedding over the pool on the seventeenth floor of the "W" Hotel or a Mitzvah with two seventeen foot high, revolving ,fantasy candy sculptures. JPD is the place to go for "knock out" events featuring the "J Factor".

I work with my clients, not only, on the design of thier event but also offers planning and coordination services as well. Having formed strong alliances with top suppliers in the Southeast you can count on me and my team to deliver a seamless, exciting unforgettable happening.

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW BEFORE GOING INTO AN EVENT

Know your allocation going into your event. Know what you want to spend and rely on trustworthy professionals to help you achieve your look, at your cost. Be flexible, Atlanta has many exciting venues. rely on your planner/designer to offer you options.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY AHEAD OF THE PACK

New York, New York! I always schedule at least one trip a year to NYC to see what is happening in the design of fashion, furnishings, art and events. Staying in tune with current trends and having the ability to weave them with traditional values will create an energy and excitement for any kind of event. As a professional designer I also receive many industry publications. This helps stay atuned to any new products and trends.