The holidays? Already?: Five reasons to plan early

The other day, we were in a hardware store, and we spotted with absolute horror the Thanksgiving decorations that were already out. Yeah, we know, we couldn't believe it either. But then the event planning side of us took over, and we realized that we'd better start thinking about the holidays. Parties, both the ones you plan for your own employees and the ones you plan as a gesture of goodwill! Annual gift-giving! Here are five reasons we like to plan early:

1. The Guest List
It's a nightmare already: For some parties, you're inviting clients and partners, and maybe media--basically, anyone who's helped make your business a success over the past year. So what's the best way to make sure that you don't leave anyone important off the list? Start thinking about it now. Planning an invitation list is a lot like trying to get someone to name the Seven Dwarves: you never remember them all at the first try, so give yourself plenty of time to get down every single person who counts.

2. Give Yourself Space
We're lucky--we generally hold our parties in our own spaces. But if you're like any other corporation, there's a good chance you'll have to find a place to have your party or event. Guess what? Locking in space early is one of the best, and easiest, things you can do for yourself. Once you've found a place, you can plan around it--food and beverage, activities, so on.

3. Recruiting Help
If you plan to start, um, the planning early enough, one option is to create a committee around the planning. In general, everything goes easier if there's more than one set of shoulders under the burden, so see if you can enlist some help. Asking early will help that.

4. Room for Oopsies
We've all had them--something got misprinted, or you didn't plan for enough people. With enough prior notice, most things can be fixed or Band-Aided. Wait too long, and...yeah. No time for fixes. Or Band-Aids.

5. Peace of Mind. 
This one's kind of self-explanatory. Staying calm during the holiday season is a total myth. But planning early can help take some of the sting out of it.

How early will you start planning your holiday activities? Let us know in the comments, or send us a tweet.

Could Cultural Know-How Have Prevented Oprah's Retail Snafu?

Guest post by Sharifah Masten at Protocol and Meetings By Design, Inc.

There's been a lot of conversation and debate around a certain talk show host's trip to Switzerland and her encounter with a retail establishment. Could Oprah's whole unpleasant experience have been avoided with a little more cultural know-how on both parties' parts? Let's look at the perception of words and actions, and keep one rule in mind: we don't, and can't, control how our actions and words are received.

 As Americans:

• We consider ourselves open and welcoming, but in some countries they view this as being pushy, loud and intrusive. 
• We like to celebrate and share accomplishments and successes; others are taught to not boast as not to make others feel inadequate.
• As professionals, we are told to perfect our thirty-second pitch. In other countries it is not so much what you say and how fast, but the relationship you can build that matters.
• We are proud of the freedoms that we have and wish for other to have the same opportunities but in other countries we are seen as not respecting their traditions or their traditional way of life.
• We work hard to play hard and spend money on things we enjoy. In other countries, people are more focused on enjoying life, and not focused on work as the priority.
• We are brought up to tip those working in service-related fields. However, in Europe especially, a tip is not typically expected and definitely not at 20%.  A generous tip to some means that Americans are trying to show their wealth. Worse, a large tip is sometimes seen as a handout.
• Our salespersons are normally paid a salary plus commission which means they are taught to try and upsell. In other countries this is not the case.  They are normally paid a salary and whether they make a sale or the amount is immaterial.

What we expect in the US is not necessarily what will be the norm in other countries.  Whether you travel and make it known that you are American or if you are considered a celebrity here in the US, keep in mind that as Americans we are expected to be more tolerant and understanding of others. Not every action is a deliberate slight. Sometimes, it's just a misunderstanding or miscommunication.

Prepping for VIPs

Earlier this week, The Hub got a visit from Representative Dave Camp, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Senator Max Baucus. They're on tour for their Simpler Taxes initiative, and we were honored to host them.

So how DO you prepare for a visit from Congress and a bunch of press people? Here's how we did it.

Notify your peeps
All of them. Yes, all of them. We let our managers know, and relied on them to spread the word and ensure that our staff knew this was happening. The last thing you want is for anyone in your organization to be caught unawares. Aside from being unsightly, it's just not fair to your team members.

Choose your location wisely
We have three facilities in Philadelphia, but we chose our Cira Centre location for a few reasons: 1. It's located adjacent to a major train station, so transport wouldn't ever be a problem; 2. It's a crowning jewel in terms of meetings and events space--we're the first-ever privately-owned meeting space to be LEED certified. "Choose something you're proud of" is a no-brainer. It's the finding something that works for everyone that can be tricky, but the payoff is worth it.

Allow lots of wiggle room
For everything. For timing issues, for the number of people you're expecting, for every. possible. thing. That said, you can't prepare for everything, so...

Just roll with it
Especially when the former governor of Pennsylvania shows up. We love surprise visitors, and with the right prep, you will, too.

  Former Governor Ed Rendell with Hub co-founders Bill Decker and John New, and Rep. Dave Camp and Sen. Max Baucus (Photo: Lindsay McPherson)

What are *your* tips for prepping for a VIP visit? Share them below.

Is Etiquette Still Relevant?

Sharifah Masten is founder of Protocol and Meetings By Design, a firm that specializes in international protocol and etiquette at meetings. Over the next few months, Sharifah will be weighing in with monthly posts on how meetings and events can have truly international appeal—and how to use protocol and etiquette to enhance your meetings and events. Without further ado, here's Sharifah's first post. 

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When I tell people I specialize in training and consulting on protocol and etiquette, I am often asked a series of questions: “Is there a need for that? In today’s society does it even matter? What does it have to do with the way I conduct business?”

The answer is this: Today, more than ever, protocol and etiquette are at the forefront of how we interact with others. Today, businesses are judged on their leaders and employees by everyone from stakeholders to consumers, so understanding protocol and etiquette allows us to build and manage relationships with others on a business level, but also on the increasingly-important personal level.

In my careers with NATO and the military, I’ve worked with international organizations and seen cultures around the world. And while I admit there are times that I have become frustrated during a conversation or an impasse  in the middle of a negotiation. it always helps to take a step back and ask myself the same questions I ask clients: “What was my point? Did I explain it in a way that the other person understood? Did I not only listen, but did I understand what their point was? Did my body language contradict my words?” Understanding protocol and etiquette means appreciating how our actions and words directly impact, and impart, our communications and relationships with others.

Protocol and etiquette is not only about you, but equally, if not more importantly, it is about the person you’re communicating to. Most of us were brought up to respect our elders, to say Ma’am or Sir, to exercise basic manners. Extending courtesy to others is not a sign of weakness. As we grow as individuals, communicating with others becomes equal parts what we as people perceive; what we are projecting, and how others receive our words and actions. Sometimes, we need to stand our ground and make a point, but we must consider doing it in a manner that does not demean or alienate others.

In the end, our goal is not always about getting the other person or side to like us. Our goal can also be about gaining a mutual respect and understanding by all involved. 
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You can reach Sharifah and Protocol and Meetings by Design here, and be sure to tune in next month when Sharifah weighs in on how Americans are perceived by other nationalities. What's your favorite business etiquette tip?

Three things that are ALWAYS Happening at The Hub

As much as we love change, we also are creatures of habit. (We think that's true of everyone.)
So here are a few things that we always like to have around at The Hub. We think of them as necessities for everyday life.

Brainy Snacks

We all know what it's like: You get up early the morning of a meeting, or conference. You're feeling great, and excited to see old colleagues and meet new ones. You go for a jog, because you're feeling that good. You even eat a complete breakfast! And then, suddenly halfway through the keynote, your tummy makes a terrible rumbling noise. You're starving. This is because MEETINGS EAT ENERGY. You are raring at 150% at meetings and events, because you are excited and happy and probably learning or talking about something you care about.
So we keep a corner in all our meeting centers stocked with what we call Brain Food: nut clusters, dried fruit, substantial snacks. Eat up. Stay hungry, but not in the literal sense. 

Great décor

From Calders to Warhols to Lichtensteins to Hadron Collliders and gorgeous floral arrangements, we make sure the things you see are just right. 

Who'd have thought a big piece of machinery could be inspiring? (Find this one at our Commerce Square facility)

The reason is simple. We want everything to look great, so you don't get distracted from the reason you're there in the first place: opportunities to collaborate. So you look around, and you feel a sense of inspiration, that's all that matters to us. Relax--and get to work. 

We work with great companies like Hoffman Designs to make sure our floral is just right.

Smiling Faces
Does it seem like a no-brainer? Every employee at The Hub wears a name tag and a smile. One, we're happy to be here. And two (and perhaps more important), we like to make it easy for you to ask one of us for help if you need something. 

Don't let the photo fool you: Jessica, Hannah and Jennifer almost always have their name tags on, although they don't always match.

 What are the three things that are always on your minds? Let us know in the comments.

Making CSR a part of your company's DNA: Three do-now steps

"CSR" is Corporate Social Responsiblity. Although the term itself was first used in the 1960s, it's only in the past decade or so that it's been a common term. It essentially means that you're taking a good look at how the actions of your business impact society.

image via

Here at The Hub, we don't have an official CSR department. But that's largely due to the fact that things like environmental impact and social causes were written into our operations from the day we were founded. From our side of the desk, here are three steps to help you get started.

1. Decide how far you want to go.
CSR means a lot of different things to a lot of different companies. At one corporation, it can mean buying from only local suppliers. At another, it can mean lowering an environmental footprint. At still another, it can mean supporting not-for-profits in their goals. There's no right answer here, just the right answer for your company.
Same thing goes for how "official" you want to make it. Many major multi-nationals have CSR departments, but for small to medium businesses, CSR could just mean a dedicated change in the way you look at the impact of your daily operations. You don't need a whole department for that.

2. Ask your employees.
Make sure your entire company is behind your commitment to CSR by doing one thing: Asking. Ask them what type of CSR they want to engage in. Do they have any favorite causes? Do they have personal commitments to charities? How would they like to see the company respond to matters of the environment, or humanitarian affairs?
Your employees are the lifeblood of your company. Making sure they have a part in this process will ensure they are behind the decision you eventually make.

3. Ask for help.
Like anything business-related, this process will go much more smoothly if you can look to external resources. In our world of meetings and events, we have a set of green standards that we can check with, although we already had a set of internal green standards in place. And, no matter which industry you're in, you can check into the resources of Benefit Corporation, which we consider to be a standard to live by in terms of CSR. Many of the larger corporations make their CSR aims available online.

Making CSR a part of your company isn't a short or easy road. But for us, it's worth it in many ways, and in the long term--and isn't that what "sustainability" is about anyhow?

Tell us your thoughts on CSR in the comments, below.

Live-tweeting best practices

Live-tweeting a conference or a keynote is a great way to share the knowledge and value that a conference can offer. It's worth the time of encouraging attendees to share the information they're gaining from the event. We've gathered some tips on live-tweeting that will boost the experience for both ends of the communication.

(Photo via)

Take notes
Live-tweeting doesn't mean just parroting back whatever's said during a speech or a seminar. It also means distilling commentary down to its essence, so that you convey more than just a soundbyte. Taking notes will help you to do that.  And anyway, when's the last time you were able to type on your smartphone as fast as someone was talking, and with any accuracy?

Add your own impressions
Something as simple as tacking on an "agreed" or a "true, but..." clause echoes the tried-and-true Twitter edict of engagement: It's nice to hear what's happening at a conference, and even better to know that the person passing on the information is...well, human.

Pace yourself
Fifteen tweets an hour is exhausting for everyone. Tweet when you hear something that inspires you, or when a slide comes up that has blinking stars on it. But you don't have to tweet everything.

Check your replies
If you're live-tweeting, chances are, someone's replying to you. So be sure to hit refresh every once in awhile and make sure you're paying attention to folks who are paying attention to you. A little "thank you" makes for a nice break in live-tweeting, too.

What are your best practices for live-tweeting?