Employer Recognition Toolkit An awards ceremony

This section provides a detailed, step-by-description of one way to organize an awards ceremony. It guides you through the following topics:
the initial decision planning criteria nominations selection partnerships financial support staffing logistics evaluation

Were beginning to think about an awards ceremony. Where do we start?

There are several decisions that you should probably make early on in your thinking about hosting an awards ceremony. Bring your team together to discuss the sectionGetting started and to consider the following additional questions. You will very likely add to this list of points to consider.
What do we hope to achieve from having an award? What is the award for? For example, effective strategies used to recruit skilled immigrants, innovative retention strategies, partnerships and so on.

Will we recognize corporations, individuals or both? Will we target all employers or only those of a specific size, e.g. small to medium? What are the implications of this decision?

Will we target non-profit organizations as well as for-profit companies? What will the name of the award be? What will the format be cocktails, sit-down dinner, part of a meeting?

Why might people want to come?

Guests may see the event as a valuable networking opportunity where they can meet with other leaders and stakeholders who are doing groundbreaking work on immigrant employment. This is also a chance to share promising practices and learn from others dedicated to the issue.

What is a logical order of events?

Consider this planning cycle.
Name the award Find funding Set the date Set the criteria Strike selection committee Put out a call for entries at least 6 months in advance Begin promoting the awards at least six months in advance Set application deadline for 3 months before the event Review applications and make short lists 2 week time frame Conduct site visits, follow-up interviews, research to inform your decision Make final selection Contact winners and media partners Announce winners a few days in advance (need to choose whether to announce in advance or to keep it a secret)

Send list of winners to all media contacts once official declaration is made Host awards Evaluate

What is involved in the different stages?

Lets look at some of the points from the Planning cycle in more detail.

Naming the award

Naming your award is a big decision and should involve some background research and pilot testing. Is there already an award with the same name or a similar one? Does the name you have chosen date you or will it carry you through the next several years? What associations does the name bring to mind? Is it easy to pronounce?

If you register a website, consider registering various domains (such as www.NAME.ca and www.NAME.com) to help you drive traffic to your site and to help prevent confusion with an unrelated site.

Funding
The cost of hosting an awards ceremony will vary depending on the type of event. This section will provide a brief overview of possible sources of funding. Refer to What costs might we need to budget for and Partnerships for additional information. Funding for your event may come from three main sources: donations, grants and sponsorships. Donations and sponsorships may include
in-kind contributions such as the facility and catering a cash contribution for marketing, personnel, the manufacture of the award itself, and so on

Grants may be given by government departments or charitable foundations. Check the eligibility criteria and funding cycles to help determine whether a certain grant stream is the most appropriate for you. Some organizations choose to combine an awards ceremony with a fundraising event for the organization. If fundraising is your objective you will need to consider:
what you will offer to your public what you will charge what the money raised will be spent on the cost of the additional work for bookkeeping and administrative tasks the fit between this event and your other fundraising activities, if any

Some organizations are able to secure a major funder who covers all of the expenses, others receive funding from several different funders. Note that there is a cost to managing the expectations and reporting requirements of multiple funders.

Criteria
You will know which criteria meet your needs; however, you may find it beneficial to build on the experience of others. Transparency is essential to the integrity of your awards. Let everyone know what criteria applicants will be judged against and follow through without exception. Determine:
how many winners you will recognize and why whether you will allow ties whether you will target specific sectors and how many there should be

the geographical boundaries for the award whether it will be by industry or not, size of company, and so on

Selection committee
You will know how large your committee should be and which key stakeholders should be included. Pull together a list of qualities and/or criteria which you can use when you recruit selection committee members. Include the time commitment you expect. Provide an orientation to committee members so they know what is expected of them and so they fully understand the selection criteria. Design an assessment checklist for the committee to fill out and use when they are making their recommendations. A selection committee could include:
1 representative from each sponsor 1 representative from each media partner 1 past winner 3 4 stakeholders with expertise in human resources, senior management, diversity, relevant fields in academia such as employment and immigrants

Note that it is important to have committee members who understand the immigrant experience.

Call for entries

The call for entries is the invitation to submit a nomination form for the award. Media partners can assist with promoting the call for entries but you must also reach out to professional associations and your network in order to reach a greater number of potential nominees. The call may include:
rationale of why the awards are held the benefits of winning a description of the award categories and criteria how to apply deadline contact information

The application form could be mailed out to people and/or be available online. The main elements could be:
contact information selection criteria questions (depending on what you are recognizing)

request for a nomination letter request for a testimonial from an immigrant employee

Promotion
There are two main reasons for promoting the award:
1. 2. To encourage nominations To generate discussion about the issues of immigrant employment and how employers have taken positive steps to address barriers to employment

Consider basing promotional pieces on how you want to reach people, for example:
Send a direct mail piece to those who may have no prior knowledge of your organization The call for entries brochure may be a print ad in a publication. Negotiate this with your media partner. The call for entries may also be a public service spot on a radio station.

A program booklet for the event. This may include write-ups about winners past and present, an agenda, and a message from the sponsors.

Signage is for those who attend the event itself. Invitations can be sent by mail or by email. The personal touch goes a long way phone calls and personalized emails work well. The creation of an email template with a link to the application or website will make it easy to promote through your networks with a consistent message.

Determine a strategic approach to promotion.

How will you determine your mailing lists, as required, for the promotional pieces outlined above?

For example, your team may already be able to generate a sufficient list of contacts. If not, you could consider purchasing a list from your local board of trade one targeted to what you want; for example, Chief Executive Officers, Vice-Presidents, communications and human resources departments in companies with a certain range of number of employees.
What are your networks?

Be proactive, tap into your networks and their extended network this is one of the most effective promotional channels. Word of mouth and spotters know your organization, what you are looking for and who deserves recognition.

Selection process
See the section on selection committee for suggestions on who to include in your committee. You may choose to have a facilitator assist with the meetings. Transparency is very important in the selection process. For example, let people know that the committee started meeting a few months before the event, reviewed all applications, made a short list, conducted site visits, and so on. This will add to your credibility.

As the host organization, you have a decision to make about how immersed or removed from the actual selection you want to be. What are the implications of both approaches? How might your choice affect relationships with your key stakeholders?

The event itself

This section includes a brief outline of what you may need to think about for the event itself. They are presented in no particular order.
What do winners receive at the event?

a plaque, statue, honorable mention

How else might winners benefit?

o o o o o o

use of the event logo, e.g. a winners seal in electronic format public recognition at the awards ceremony profile through awards web site and marketing materials photographs of the event media coverage complimentary services (e.g., offer free diversity training from a reputable consultant)

What souvenirs will you give to guests?

o o

booklet/program access to photos on website

What type of event would you like to have?

o o

a separate event part of another occasion

Who do you invite?

o o o o o o o o

nominees senior executives human resources managers from public and private sector organizations political leaders past winners selection committee members your board of directors funders

o o o o o o

sponsors partners potential applicants for future years agencies serving immigrants community stakeholders the media

Where will you host the event?

a smaller space may provide a sense of intimacy and allow for meaningful interactions among guests

a larger space may allow for entertainment and more guests, important if your event is a fundraiser

How can you make the most of the event?

Have a plan for engaging guests who attend and ensuring that guests are made welcome. Build your base of contacts by collecting business cards for a door prize. Track attendance through monitoring which nametags are unclaimed and which new ones you prepared as guests arrived.

Follow-up
You will need to determine what kind of follow-up you will do with the winners and guests, if any. Some organizations plan to work with winners after the event, for example:
Is there another way to involve winners in your organization? Could a winner be invited to become a mentor in your mentoring program? Could winner become a potential sponsor?

You may also want to follow up with guests who have expressed an interest in what you do.

Staffing
Hosting a successful awards ceremony requires expertise and effort over an extended period. The most time-consuming tasks in the first year will be determining whether the undertaking is feasible and putting the key building blocks in place. Key staffing requirements are human resources expertise, event planning skills, media relations and administration. Your staffing needs may be met through a combination of paid and volunteer staff as well as contracts with external suppliers. The following list will give you an idea of who you will need to recruit. You are in the best position to know which positions are paid or unpaid, contract or staff.

key person with overall responsibility selection committee event photographer freelance writer videographer webmaster human resources consultant or event management specialist, especially in the first year graphic designer selection committee meeting facilitator event planner

You will likely enlist the help of your organizations staff for the event itself to be greeters, provide directions, and so on.

Monitoring and evaluation

Consider tracking information about your event and conducting regular evaluations. This will help you analyze what took place, report to funders and make improvements. You could track the following:
attendance number of applications number of inquiries web traffic the evolution of your relationship with winners media coverage quality and quantity who came and how senior that person is in their organization year-to-year comparisons changes in the quality of applications, for example

Some organizations develop an evaluation plan. This may include:

designing an evaluation form for guests interviewing winners for feedback on their experience obtaining feedback from sponsors, media partners, selection committee members anyone involved in the event

a larger evaluation that includes what happened with those employers who inquired about the awards but did not apply

Partnerships
This section describes two main forms of partnerships which you may benefit from when organizing an awards ceremony: media partnerships and sponsorships.

Media partnerships
Media organizations may be very interested in covering and supporting your event. This section provides some considerations for establishing and managing a partnership with media. How might we find a media partner?
Scan the environment. Whos covering the issue? Whos nearby? Who would like a ready-made opportunity?

Make use of the connections you have built up in your professional and personal networks. Allow yourself plenty of time there may be several levels of approval and you may be dealing with several different departments (e.g. promotions, editorial, communications).

Invite them to your awards ceremony this year or to a similar event so that they have a good sense of what you have in mind.

Identify and communicate the benefits to potential media partners of getting involved with you and your cause. These benefits may include helping the media partner earn public profile with a target audience and forming partnerships that allow them to shape meaningful projects and initiatives in future.

List what you need from a media partner and how you will recognize them; for example, logo placement and mention in program, annual report, speaking opportunity at events.

How might we involve media partners?

to promote the call for entries. This can be done through free air time or space in a publication. to cover the event itself optional editorial coverage

What may be entailed in this kind of partnership?

time and effort on your part the need to incorporate media partners timetable into your planning so that you have adequate lead time

the need to be organized and prepared in advance; for example, prepare a list of people who the media may call on for interviews and coach them as required

identifying what your media partner needs and how you can assist them know that while you may have arranged the partnership with a community relations representative that you will likely have to work with advertising and editorial departments, none of which may communicate well internally

Look for in-kind donations of space and air time.

Sponsorships
Employers and government departments may be interested in becoming sponsors of your awards ceremony. You may determine the levels and conditions of sponsorship in advance or you may consult potential sponsors to see what they require. Consider the following:
Do you need more than one sponsor? What do you offer them? What do sponsors want? For example, an award named after them, involvement in selection, a chance to speak at the event, to host the event at their location. Different sponsors may want different levels of involvement.

Will a sponsor be prepared to sign on for more than a year at a time? What is key to managing relationships with your sponsors? What are sponsors objectives? How can you align with them?

Organizing the awards ceremony

One of the best things in life is when an awards ceremony works; the speakers are good (and nobody canceled on you), the ceremony is upbeat (and never boring), and the one(s) receiving the award feel really recognized (and not just fake-happy). But for everything to run smoothly you need to put effort into planning the ceremony. There are many details, and they are all important. Depending on the size and what kind of event you have in mind, you might want to delegate chores to a committee or to a "point person" who will recruit helpers. It can be dangerous to take the responsibility all on yourself, because the organizing of an event can become overwhelming.

The planning of a presentation goes hand in hand with the budget. Are you going to have a fancy reception or not? What kinds of awards are you going to give -- certificates, gifts, recognition plaques? Who are you going to invite? Are you going to bring a special keynote speaker, or are you going to do the presentation yourself? All these details should be planned in advance so that there are no unhappy surprises during the ceremony.

Because there are so many details to plan and organize for an awards ceremony, we've put together a list of things to take into consideration when planning:

1. Money -- First of all, decide on your budget. How much you spend on an award presentation can vary a lot; be sure you can afford what you're planning. If your initiative has a lot of resources, you may have a big budget to spend on a ceremony. On the other hand, smaller organizations have to be creative and make do with a limited amount of money. Deciding your budget will determine the menu, the number of guests, the venue of the event, and other details that involve spending money.

2. Location -- Before planning anything, decide where to hold the ceremony. Think about what kind of event you're going to hold and then try to find a location to match. Before choosing a place, take into consideration all the next items so that you don't limit yourself choosing the place before determining what you really want. Does your company have a recreation center? A presentations room? Will you need to rent a room somewhere else? Are you going to serve food? What do you need in the room? Tables? Podium? Hook-ups? A kitchen? How big does the place have to be? A big hall will look empty if there are only a few people in it, and a small one will limit how many people you can have.

3. Type of award -- They say that awards should fit the action being recognized. It also should fit the person and the occasion. For some, a donation to a particular organization may be most appropriate, for instance, volunteers for an AIDS project may want their award to be converted into a contribution to the project. For others, a new title or job definition will be the perfect award. What sort of symbol you choose says a lot about what and whom you are recognizing. Here are some types of recognition you might consider:

Pins Statuettes Certificates Prizes Plaques Framed recognition citations Gifts A promotion

Complimentary tickets Something else to have in mind is the surprise element. Is the recipient going to be told beforehand that he is going to receive an award? Surprises can be fun, but you don't want the honoree to have a heart attack from shock before reaching the podium to accept the award.

4. Number of guests -- So, is this going to be a blockbuster, everybody's-invited type of party, or an invitation-only, intimate awards ceremony? You need to consider the immediate guests and their guests (family, friends, significant others?)

5. Food -- Ceremonies are fun, but people can get cross if there isn't anything to nibble on. You'll want to serve some sort of refreshments. The size of the event and the resources the facility offers will help determine what kind of food you'll serve. You're not going to serve a sit-down dinner someplace where there's no kitchen

When considering food for your ceremony, you have two options: plan it yourself, or get help from a catering service. Doing it yourself can save money, but do you have the manpower and expertise to put on a spread for the number of people invited? Remember, you have to plan, buy, prepare and serve the food, and clean up, all of which the caterers will do. On the other hand, you're paying the caterer for a pre-established number of people, whether they show up or not. If more show up, you're out of luck.

6. Waiters and other support staff -- Speaking of food, you'll probably need people to set up the place, serve the food, put the water glass close to the speakers, serve the guests, and clean up afterward. You may need to hire support staff to help you, or you may have to assign some people from the organization committee (if you have one) to divide the labor. You can consider hiring specialized help, such as caterers.

7. Tables/chair arrangement -- No matter how small the ceremony, you don't want people tripping over tables or sitting with their backs to the podium. If the ceremony is large, then you need to be even more careful. Who will sit where? Who will sit with whom? Who needs to be close to the podium? You need to consider all these questions.

8. Decorations --This part is fun but, beware: it can make or break your presentation. Decorating is hard work, especially if you're dealing with a large space. Your choice of decorations will depend to a large extent on the tone you want the ceremony to take; for example, silly balloons and festive

noise-makers would be inappropriate for a sober, dignified ceremony. Here's a list of things you may wish to consider when thinking about decorations for a formal awards ceremony:

Flowers Balloons Bows Tablecloths Center pieces Pictures on the wall Banners Posters Plants Candles 9. Key speakers -- Who is going to actually present the awards? Is it going to be you? The director of your initiative? The awarded person's best friend? A nationally known motivational speaker? A choice could be made depending upon the recipient's job or accomplishment. It could be a colleague, the recipient's spouse, parent, or child. Whoever it may be, you need to contact that person in advance and to allow time for preparation. If necessary, arrange a rehearsal to fine-tune length and tone of speeches.

10. Order of presentation -- Who is going to speak first? How are you going to start the ceremony? When will it end? At what time will the award be presented? The presentation schedule doesn't have to be followed to the minute, but you want to know who speaks after whom, so you can print a program for the guests. Also, people should know how much time they have to present their speeches and comments. If you expect everyone to take about three minutes, and someone takes 30, it can not only be boring for the audience, but it can throw off the timing of the whole event, and change the feeling of it. In general, the clearer you can be about timing, the more likely you are to get close to what you want.

Preparing your presentation

You've secured a location, arranged for refreshments, ordered the awards, and planned the decorations. But who is going to present the awards? If that job falls to you, don't worry! We've provided some tips here that will help you make a smooth, confident presentation. You will find more information on presentations in Chapter 4, Section 5: Making Community Presentations.

Be sure to be warm and friendly in your presentation. Remember, this is not a business presentation, so you shouldn't be too formal. You're supposed to put the audience and the awardees at ease. Even if you wrote a speech, make it sound like you're saying it, not reading it. Use language you're comfortable with. You don't have to memorize the speech word-for-word, but try to deliver it from notes rather than from a full text. Here are some tips to sound less formal on your presentation:

Use simple words. Say begin instead of commence, and after instead of subsequent to. Use contractions -- didn't, won't -- to make your speech sound more relaxed. Use voice inflections and hand gestures. Use personal pronouns such as I instead of one, and we instead of you What not to do during a presentation:

Be pompous and monotonous. Be formal and stuffy. Be vague and complex. Start hyper-intense or be unenergized. Be unsure and nervous. Read, and sound like you're reading. Talk for a long time. This is your awardees' day, not yours. Your speech should be interesting, creative and exciting. Do you know any stories about the person receiving the award that the audience at large is not aware of? Or an anecdote? Choose these stories carefully so as not to embarrass or ridicule the awarded person. If the story doesn't put the awardee in a positive light, forget about it. Tell brief stories, and use quick examples. The audience is interested in knowing more about this person receiving the award: her personal life, what she does in her free time, how you met her, any story that people can identify with. Use your presentation to show the personality of the person

being awarded. Demonstrate how her life is inspiring to others, and illustrate it with authentic examples. Be attentive to your body language, eye contact, speech rhythm and mannerisms. Should you invite the press?

Media attention is usually good and desired for this type of activity. Depending upon the size and scope of the event, you probably want as much public notice as possible, both for the honoree(s) and for your initiative. For example, it may be a good idea for a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered rights association to invite the press when presenting an award for the association's straight allies. It would bring visibility to the group and energize allies, not to mention how glad the awardee would be to be mentioned in the press.

Audio-visual aids If you have slides of the awarded person doing his or her work, a home video of this person that describes perfectly his or her personality, or taped testimonies of people thanking the recipient of the award, these are great ways of keeping the audience interested, bringing new perspectives to the ceremonies, and pleasing the person receiving the award. Make sure you have arranged the necessary equipment (overhead projector, VCR, slide projector, screen, TV set, stereo) if you decide to do a presentation like this.

Instructions
1. o

1 2

Work up a budget for your banquet. This will allow you to find the nicest facility that still fits within the budget and tells you if you'll be serving steak and shrimp or meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
o

Set a date and time for your function. If the banquet is for a contest, make sure the timing fits the needs surrounding the amount of judging time required.
o

Find a venue for your awards banquet among hotels, restaurants, banquet halls and local lodges. Shop around and compare the fees of each potential location. Compare this price

to what each of them can provide. Get everything in writing so you know exactly what you're paying for. If the event is being catered, you may have to arrange for servers on top of everything else, so don't forget to figure this cost into your budget.
o

4 5

Choose a menu. If the event needs to be catered, then you will want to contact either a professional catering company to plan the menu or talk to some local restaurants that also do catering to see what they can offer and at what price.
o

Send out invitations. How formal the invitation needs to be will depend on the type of awards banquet you're planning. Most of the time invitations are simply a tool to get RSVPs including the number of extra people who'll be attending along with the invited individual.
o

6 7

Decide if you want to assign seats or let attendees choose for themselves.
o

Plan your program. Decide who will present the awards, if you want a keynote speaker to address the audience prior to handing out awards and when to complete all the banquet activities.
o

8 9

Order the awards. Contact a local printing and trophy company to price the items you will need. If you're on a tight budget, paper certificates can be done quite nicely and cheaply from home with the right computer program and good printer.
o

Show up early the night of the banquet. You want to arrive before any of your guests just to make sure everything is to your liking, to test the sound system that will be used during the award presentations and make sure there aren't any last minute problems that need to be handled.

Tips & Warnings

Try to find out in advance if there will be any vegetarians at the awards banquet. If there are, make sure their needs can be fulfilled by whoever will be cooking the meal. Many awards banquets for schools will utilize what's already available to them like the school cafeteria instead of renting an outside facility. This will save them money and possibly allow for a nicer bill of fare for the evening. Nonprofit organizations that arrange awards banquets can often get donations to help fund the event. If you're on a limited budget, instead of hiring a wait staff, see if you can find volunteers to do this duty. In lieu of speakers, you may also plan some form of entertainment like dinner theater or live music.

HOW TO ORGANISE A FILM FESTIVAL

Instructions 1 Give yourself at least a year to put the festival together. Given that you will need to secure a venue (possibly several), contact a wide range of film makers and arrange for viewings, one year is a realistic target for a small film festival.

2 Assemble a planning committee (see 373 Plan an Organizational Meeting). Narrow the focus of your event. Will you showcase a particular genre? Is the festival a fund-raiser, for profit or for fun?

3 Create a budget. Continually monitor costs to ensure that your budget remains in line with expenses. See 2 Set Priorities.

4 Secure a venue depending on anticipated attendance. Will this be a large event that will take place in a movie theater or a smaller event that will take place in several cozier venues?

5 Solicit sponsors. Donations can take the form of corporate gifts, small business donations and in-kind donations. Gifts-in-kind are a great way to acquire food, beverages, printing, supplies and more in exchange for publicity. See 372 Publicize an Event.

6 Consider the timeline of the event and which days and/or nights supporting events may occur. How long will the festival run? Will you have a gala event for major donors, a meetand-greet with directors and stars, or an awards ceremony?

Decide how many films you plan to show and if you are going to have a call for entry. If so, be sure to request two copies of each film in case one gets damaged during shipping.

8 Invite directors, writers and producers to introduce their films. Showcase their involvement in the program guide to draw eager devotees. Plan a welcome reception for your VIPs.

9 Set the programming for the festival. Once you receive the films, create a method to judge them. Ask committee members to watch a few of the films and provide their feedback. Multiple judges will provide a more diverse score.

10 Secure volunteers, including an audio/visual crew, for the festival to keep things running smoothly during film showings and parties. Designate a leader to coordinate and manage all volunteers.

11 Feature movie descriptions, director and writer profiles, sponsor and in-kind donor listings, logos and ads, and special event information in the festival guide. List the committee and all volunteers.

12 Assign walkie-talkie headsets to all project leads so they can stay in communication. Keep check on all special guests and be sure they are certain of their movie introduction schedule.

Youre on your way to enjoying a fantastic Award Ceremony.

And the Award Goes To...
There are various reasons to hold award ceremonies. You could be a local business journal acknowledging your areas outstanding companies, a business awarding the employees who went above and beyond that year, or even an entertainment association recognizing those who were successful in music, movies, or TV for the year. Whatever the reason, planning and organizing an awards ceremony takes a lot of time and energy. Be sure to start early in the planning process and use these helpful tips from Gig Salad.

Where Oh Where Could the Awards Show Be

First and foremost, you must choose a date for the event. This is essential because you need to make sure the venue is available, and youll need it before you book any type of entertainment or service. The next step is to find an appropriate venue. If you plan to have a dinner before the ceremony, a convention center or other banquet center would be appropriate. If you are going for a more large scale event, you could rent out a small or large theatre depending on attendance. As with any event, you will need to have an estimate of the number of guests. Next up, you will want to secure some entertainment for your awards show. Any awards show will need someone to emcee. Some options for an emcee include a comedian, celebrity impersonator, magician, or motivational speaker. Before the ceremony begins, in between awards, and at the end, you will need some other forms of entertainment. Consider hiring a cover band, dance troupe, jazz band, or pianist. You could also hire a DJ to entertain during down time. If your emcee is a performer like a comedian or magician, they can entertain as well so you wouldnt have to hire additional entertainers.

The Decor Award Goes To

After youve booked the venue and entertainers, you must decide how to decorate for the ceremony. If you are having dinner before the awards, you will need centerpieces for the tables. Hire an event florist to create some stunning pieces for your tables or for the stage itself. If you are not having the event in a theatre, you may need to rent some table linens and chair covers. Most banquet and convention centers offer basic linens and covers; however, if you want something more specific or fancy, there are rental companies who can assist. Some other detail oriented aspects you will need to consider are the awards and winner envelopes. Decide whether you want a standing award or some type of plaque made for

your award winners. When it comes to the envelopes, many invitations printers will be able to create aesthetically pleasing designs for the envelope and insert.

Id Like to Thank...
Other services you will need for your event include bartenders and waitstaff. Before and after the ceremony, you will more than likely have drinks and hors doeuvres even if you dont have a full meal, in which case you will need people to make and serve the food and drinks to your guests. If you do choose to go the dinner- before-the-ceremony route, be sure to hire a caterer to take care of the meal preparation. Also, be sure to have a photographer and/or a videographer to capture the presentation and award winners. Also, to prevent any technical issues, be sure to have a sound check with the event staff before the ceremony begins to avoid any embarrassing situations. If the venue doesnt have in house A/ V staff, you can find a sound technician on Gig Salad. An awards ceremony is a fantastic way to honor employees or acknowledge those in a particular field. However, it takes a lot of coordination to set up this type of event. Dont hesitate hiring an event planner to do the work for you. You work hand in hand with the planner to see that the event is created the way you want. Let the planner know that they can go to Gig Salad for any type of event or service they need for the ceremony.