Bono is Coming to Your Birthday Party

“It’s a Beautiful Day” and Bono is coming to your birthday party or your gala or your corporate reception.  I bet your event plans might change.  One of the planets most famous rockstars…”I think famous and rockstar are redundant,” but how is that going to change the focus of your party.

Would you go to the local VFW Hall or would you find the hippest night club?

• What would the atmosphere be like?
• What kinds of food and drink would you serve?
• Who would be on the guest list?
• What kind of lighting, decoration or entertainment would you contract?

Notice, these are all questions you might ask your client any way.  I find this to be a fun way to shift my thinking in regards to event theming and production.  It is very easy to get tunnel vision and forget to look at events from a whole new angle.  This technique has another benefit.  It is attendee or guest focused versus planner or host focused.  It is easy to forget that most events are for the benefit or enjoyment of the attendee.

Here are a few primers to get you thinking.

• The Pope is coming to your Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Peyton Manning is coming to your wifes baby shower
• Dennis Rodman is coming to your first communion
• Kim Kardashian is coming to your wedding
• Rush Limbaugh is coming to Thanksgiving Dinner
• Sarah Palin is coming to your pig roast
• Marylin Manson is attending your fundraiser
• Tiger Woods is attending your bachelor party
• Al Roker is coming to your 25th anniversary party
• President Obama is a guest at your retirement party
• Bill Gates is attending your shareholder meeting

Next time you are stuck in a rut planning your next event theme invite one of these folks.

Happy Birthday!

Image Credit: Copyright World Economic Forum (www.weforum.org)
swiss-image.ch /Photo by Remy Steinegger