14 do’s and don’ts . . .

This is as simple as following the standards that you set yourself. If you require a DTI license from your suppliers, you yourself should have all the legal documents. If you want them to issue receipts, you should pay for the municipal permits and fees. They could only respect you as you respect yourself.

8. Find the right staff

“It is hard getting the right people to implement [the event] as you envisioned it. You should find competent people, top caliber. We used the referral system.”

Having the right ideas, the brilliant plan, is nothing if you don’t have the right people to help you achieve it. These people should share your vision, and are aware of your goals and standards.

With Themes & Motifs, they asked people they knew for capable people they could refer, and as it turned out, this capable staff they have climbed the corporate ladder in other companies over the years. 9. Do not copy When Themes & Motifs started Wedding Expo Philippines, they made a template of what to do, what they want to achieve, and what they expect from all the people involved.

With all the painstaking effort, it was quite frustrating for them to find copycats who would only copy everything they did, from the website down to the brochures. Being unoriginal could only last you for a while.

10. Do not hype what you don’t have

“It’s wrong to mislead your consumers, plain and simple.”

“Do not wait for the event itself to discuss and solve problems.”

11. Do not be complacent with safety precautions

It is bad for business to be associated with thievery and pilfering.

“Our events are highly publicized, so it’s prone to bad elements. We have anti-theft campaign to protect everyone.”

12. Do not mount an exhibit in an inaccessible area

“We had an exhibit somewhere in Makati before, and it was one-way, so everyone got lost. It was one of our worst turnout.”

13. Don’t do an exhibit during