Pinterest! Pinterest is a social pinboard-sharing network that allows people to share ideas & interests with one another. Why not use that to your advantage and let your guests help you organize your event?! Still not quite following what I am talking about? Well here’s a scenario that can better explain:

"Ok, so you're to plan a party for next month, but have no clue what theme, food, drinks, or even music you or your guests might want. All you know is who you're inviting. What do you do? Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest & social media, you can stop stressing out and let your guests help you out! How? It’s easy! Here are a couple of steps on how your guests can take part in the party planning."

Step One:Login to your Pinterest account

Step Two: Click on the Add + and click on Create a Board

Step Three: Name your board!

Step Four: On the "Who can pin?" section, invite your guests. (This allows them to be able to pin to your party board)

Step Five: When you're done, click on Create Board and voilà! You're in business!

Top College Football Tailgating Destinations Every week on game day thousands of people show up to the stadium with no intention on going inside to watch the game. They’re there to Tailgate. Tailgating isn't about wins, although we have to admit we won’t complain if our team wins. Instead, it's about something much more than that. Tailgating is about … beer. Lots and lots of beer. Beer in cans, kegs or red Solo cups. Oh and food, an excessive amount of food. Tailgating is a large campus party. For most fans game day is more important than any other event. I will mention that we did not base this list on the actual football teams but the traditions and quality of the tailgate itself. University of Southern California  Hollywood's Team Beautiful weather, beautiful people, and the football team isn't too bad. Every game day you can see a sea of cardinal red and gold flood the beautiful USC campus grounds, which turned into one giant party by mid morning  Thousands of fans prepare with drinks food and friendly conversation, to fill the largest stadium in the PAC 12, The Coliseum.  USC's fans are some of the most diverse this is evident when you walk through the tailgates and see the different ways to cook the same piece of meat that is a staple a tailgate. Tennessee The "Volunteer Navy" Tailgating at the University of Tennessee provides you these two options tailgate on land or on water. If you choose water that is referred to as The Sailgate. Tons of fans gather on game day morning board boats and tour around the water on boats with TVs and everything else you need to have a great “Sailgate”     Texas A&M Home of the “12th man” It all starts the night before at the unique tradition called Midnight Yell Practice. Apparently the fans don't cheer they yell! The football program may be up and down season to season but one constant remains... great traditions. College Station is a great college town with a great game day atmosphere.     Ole Miss Sunday's Best on a Saturday? Blazers and bow ties for the men and sundresses and pearls for the women the classic southern charm embodiment. The Grove, a nine- acre area, on campus is where the unique tailgate takes place. One of the great parts about the Ole Miss tailgate is that the team takes part in the festivities by taking “The Walk of Champions” through The Grove.     Texas Sweet Tea Vodka and Cowboy Boots Anytime Austin can host a party for any reason they will. The self proclaimed weird city is home to one of the five largest campuses in the United States, the Longhorns host one heck of a tailgate. University of Texas at Austin has a huge student and alumni base, the huge following is one that  few schools can boast. You can’t go wrong with huge smokers cooking up good Texas barbecue and cheerleaders in chaps.   Here Are a Few Tips to Make Your Tailgate a Great One, Wherever You Are. Be Friendly with the other tailgaters and get off your phone. Make friends with your fellow fans, this will make it easier to drink their beer when yours runs out. Bring Kids At Your Own Risk. Keep in mind that this is an all day affair and that fans will be drinking all day. So they will be drunk and they can not be held accountable for their actions words of choice. Protect Your Tailgating Gear. try using bicycle locks to lock your gear together, but also don't get too anal, don't walk around with a sharpie putting a name on every single red cup. If someone misplaces their cup they will simply grab another one if this will ruin you financially you should probably just stay home and make sure you don't misplace any cups. Get there early and know the rules. There's not much to this tip just get there early and get a good spot. Also do a quick Google search before you go tailgating or ask friends if they know any important rules. This probably seems like a minor issue but a small rule can really change your tailgate experience. You don't want to get kicked out because you accidentally broke a rule. Probably most important of all, Prepare. Sure you can buy a 24 pack of Miller Lite and a bag of Doritos and hope for the best. I'm sure you'll probably have a great time, specially if that 24 pack is just for you. But if you want your tailgate to go better than getting blackout drunk and bumming food from others. Plan and Prepare. The best way I can think of doing that is by using Ticketbud, through Ticketbud you can have a RSVP list of who's showing up and also who's bringing what. Another great advantage of using us is that you can promote your event on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.]]]]> ]]>

Tip #1: Research the audience and location of event. What are the demographics for your event? Is there even room for an act? These are just some things to take into consideration before finding an act. Having an act like One Direction perform for an age group of 45-55 years old might just be disastrous. Even if you can't pinpoint the demographics, try to assume! Tip #2: Check your favorite local venues. Whatever your favorite genre may be, check out the local venues that cater to that genre.  Checking out the opening acts at your favorite venue is always a good way to find local talent. Here in Austin, Texas, venues such as Antone's or The Mohawk are great venues to check out the local talent. Along with checking out your favorite venues, attending open mics is a reliable option. Also, always ask friends that are musicians to recommend someone as an option. Tip #3: If you can, make time to meet the act. Because of today's technology, you can virtually be anyone you want behind a computer.Once you've found youract, its always good idea to establish a connection in person. This way, you'll get a general idea of the act and different things such as the vibe they give off, and if they're prompt. And as always, don't forget to give a listen to their music online. If the act doesn't have a fan/music page, try searching for them on Soundcloud or Bandcamp. And as the last tip, Tip#4: Compensation is the key. Compensation can be anything from free drinks to allowing the act to invite their friends for free if the event has a charge to it. Keep in mind, guaranteeing that a good crowd will attend is a form of compensation. Remember, if you can compensate the act, the chances of them returning the next time you need them are very high. Lastly, keep a list of reliable acts on hand. Keeping a list allows you to have back up acts just in case the act you intended to have playing cancels. When you tell people where you heard these tips, tell them Ticketbud told you! That's all the tips we have for you now. If you have still have trouble finding an act, don't freak out...its a process that you have to get used to and build connections over time. Once you find an act for your first event, it'll be a piece of cake after that. Good luck, and may the local talent event gods be with you.]]]]> ]]>

Mistake #1:   Not having a clear contract. Solution#1:   Your contract must state the obvious; it is key to show your client what you are promising them. Important activities your client needs to be a part of such as meetings, and as well for the duration of time it will take, but the most important of all is cost. You do not want to botch up the cost. You have to consider everything that you will need for this event. (Food, drinks, parking, props, promotion) If you do not add up all the cost in the end you will be the one paying for the bill. Mistake #2:   Overselling your experience. Solution #2:  Yes, you want to sound like the ultimate event planner of all time, but be careful how far you take it. It is important to be honest about your skills, and what types of events you have done. Once you have lost the trust of your client it is hard to gain that trust back. Even if they decide to keep you on from there on out they might question your credibility and start second-guessing your decisions.  Mistake #3:   Not having event insurance.            Solution #3:  This one is a biggie. You do not want to be responsible for damages, cancellation, and injuries. Yes, it may not be your fault but as the event planner you are responsible no matter what. There are several different types of insurance. (Liquor, cancellation, third party damage, hired/non-owned auto, worker’s compensation) No matter the size of your event the worst can always happen and you must be prepared for the reality about to hit you.   Mistake #4:   Not confirming vendors that are booked Solution #4:  There are some cases when the clients decides to book some vendors themselves, make sure you double check that everything is on track. The last thing you want is arriving at the venue with the vendors not even there with the right props or with nothing at all. Mistake #5:   Not staying calm Solution #5:  Staying calm is important. Remember if you start to freak out what makes you think the client won’t start freaking out. You have to stay calm and collected. It would be a good idea a week before the event youthink of different scenarios that can go wrong and think how can I solve this problem so you can be mentally prepared for it all. Just remember stay calm you do not want to look like a mess. Jenifer Lopez makes planning a wedding look ever so effortless and romantic, but in reality it is quite chaotic. There is room for error and you must be prepared for the unknown. Don't stress out too much if you do make a mistake.  As the saying goes, a truly wise person "learns more from their mistakes than they do from their successes!" photo credit: Lori Greig via photopin cc]]]]> ]]>