Mark Bernardini | US real estate to benefit under Trump presidency

The US real estate sector is set to benefit under the presidency of Donald Trump, according to a group of investors and managers gathered at this year’s IPE Real Estate Global Conference & Awards in Munich.

A straw poll of delegates at the conference was split over the question. A slight majority (53.8% of delegates) took the view that Trump administration’s actions would drive growth US real estate.

However, panellists agreed unanimously that Trump’s policy agenda, particularly regarding tax reform and infrastructure spending, would benefit US real estate.

Jack Gay, global head of commercial real estate debt at TH Real Estate, said: “Whether the announced stimulus package can be put through congress remains to be seen, but we see Mr Trump’s programmes and policies having a positive impact.

”As a result, we are not changing our investment strategy, although we are mindful of where we are in the real estate cycle.”

Frank Lively, executive vice president of Wafra Investment Advisory Group, added: “I am not a fan of Mr Trump, but if he can do anything right, it is in the real estate sector.

“His proposed policies as outlined will have a very positive effect, and that will take us to a ‘middle-inning’ scenario in terms of the cycle.”

Jim Fetgatter, CEO of AFIRE, an organisation representing foreign investors in US real estate, said a huge majority (85%) of its members considered Donald Trump’s election a negative event for the sector, according to a survey carried out before the US presidential election.

However, Fetgatter added, “foreign investors are coming to the US more than ever”.

Panellists broadly agreed that one of the sectors set to grow under the Trump administration is infrastructure.

Lively said: “From our perspective, we have focus on infrastructure, but it is not a core strategy.

“The sector is going to present plenty of opportunities, and lots of capital can find a home, if the policies are implemented. Whether all that capital flows to infrastructure projects, remains to be seen.”

Despite some negative sentiment surrounding US residential, the sector still presents opportunities, according to Dietrich Heidtmann, head of international capital markets at GTIS Partners.

Heidtmann said: “We still believe this is an attractive sector to pursue. After the financial crisis, household formation and housing starts stopped.

“We have also seen a dramatic decline in ownership rates. We don’t believe, as some do, that ownership rates will start growing fast again.

“The rental sector is here to stay. But demographic trends can now drive growth in residential housing. The age group between 30 and 39 is driving household formation, and that brings the need to accommodate families.

“This contrasts with the supply situation, in that only half of the apartment sector is suitable for accommodating families. Suburban living is still growing and the multifamily sector is responding to that.”

Lively added: “We have been very focused on US multifamily. We think that in the long term this is a solid product with solid future.”

Panellists discussed the outlook for alternative asset classes, which they suggested is generally bright under Trump’s presidency.

Logistics, in particular, is “a terrific market”, according to Lively. He said: “Internet is putting pressure on traditional retail, but there is money to be made in traditional retail as well, as those assets are reconfigured to meet changes in demand.”

Greg Spick, director at the UPS pension plan, said that traditional retail property is ripe for M&A activity. “We are seeing but also are opportunities in the sector”, he said.

Fetgatter mentioned that logistics is high up on the list of sectors favoured by foreign investors.

In another straw poll, delegates were asked what are the best opportunities in the US real estate market today. The majority (37%) chose residential, followed by alternatives (33%), industrial (20%), retail (6%) and office (4%).

Piet Eichholtz, professor of finance & real estate at Maastricht University, noted how the ‘core’ of a traditional investment portfolio, which consisted of retail and office assets, only took 10% of preferences.

Mark Bernardini | Try Canada if you don’t like US politics

Can a remote Canadian island become a potential refuge for Americans trying to escape the current administration? The emails started coming into Cape Breton Island just after Donald Trump won his first presidential primary last year. They still arrive from Americans who think they might be willing to relocate to a place with short days and frigid temperatures five months of the year.

“I am so sick of what has happened to my beautiful country,” one resident of the Lower Forty-Eight wrote.

The first sign of what Rob Calabrese would come to think of as America’s unmooring began last year. Just after Donald Trump won his first presidential primary, Calabrese published a $28 website that he’d designed in 30 minutes. “Hi Americans!” What followed was a sales pitch for an island where Muslims could “roam freely,” and where the only walls were those “holding up the roofs” of “extremely affordable houses.”

“Let’s get the word out!” Calabrese wrote, adding a photo of an pristine coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. “Move to Cape Breton if Donald Trump Wins!”

It was initially a joke but seven hours after Calabrese linked the site to the Facebook page of the pop radio station where he works as a DJ, in came an email from America. “Not sure if this is real but I’ll bite.” And then another: “It pains me to think of leaving, but this country is beyond repair.”

Yankees quickly realized Calabrese’s effort was not a joke. The Calabrese response about housing: “You’ll find it one of the, if not the most, affordable in North America! If you want to take a look at some of the latest listings,” he emailed to The States some websites of Cape Breton Island real estate companies.

He started answering questions about immigration...“The process has changed, some people say it is much less complex, let’s get started”...and dual citizenship...“Every country decides whom it considers to be a citizen. If more than one country recognizes you as a citizen, you have dual citizenship. Find out more here.”

Some asked if Cape Breton Island was offering a special program. “No,” said Calabrese. “There is no special program. The immigration process would happen in the conventional way. The purpose of the web site is to show that if you are interested in coming to Canada, that Cape Breton Island would be a place where you would be welcomed with open arms!”

Calabrese started answering questions about retirees immigrating, (“There are many paths to permanent residency and citizenship) and the economic climate in Cape Breton Island. He was candid: “Cape Breton’s economy has suffered for many years. In the past we depended on coal mines and steel production but those industries are gone. We have a burgeoning IT sector and some great new tech businesses are starting here.”

Calabrese increased his trolling: “Want more information, Google Cape Breton Island if Donald Trump Wins.”

The U.S. side of the phenomenon was “unsettling,” according to the Washington Post: “The toll of the president’s proposals has been swift on the nation’s tourism industry, with tour group organizers saying that people suddenly have an unsettling sense that the United States isn’t as welcoming a place as it once was. One industry expert projected lost revenue for 2017 at $7.4 billion.”

A-E will apprise Greater Jasper residents of any mass emigration to a beautiful but chilly destination. Google Cape Breton Island Tourism website for stunning photographs of the beautiful part.

The future of coal

The quick erosion of most markets for U.S. and Cape Breton Island coal are inescapable. Just look at markets for West Virginia and Kentucky coal. Despite the President’s campaign pledges, the first two sentence in this paragraph are inevitable.

More insight into inevitability: earlier this month, the Harlan County, Ky., Coal Museum switched to solar power.

Mark Bernardini | Latest Readings Show Commercial Property Prices Continuing to Moderate

With reported increases in cap rates and a slowing investment sales market, the three major commercial property prices indices (CPPIs) are showing at best meagre gains.

The all-property CPPI tracked by ratings firm Moody’s and research firm Real Capital Analytics (RCA) registered a 0.5 percent increase in March. Price indices for office buildings in Central Business Districts (CBD) and retail properties showed the highest upward jumps, at 2.4 percent and 1.3 percent respectively. The industrial sector and office properties in suburban areas posted declines in prices, at 0.3 percent and 0.1 percent. The apartment sector has also posted a decline in prices during the period, at 0.5 percent.

The Moody’s/RCA CPPI tracks commercial property prices based on repeat sales that take place two months prior to the publication of its reports.

Green Street Advisors, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based research firm, reported that its aggregate CPPI remained flat in April. The CPPIs for every property type Green Street tracks, besides health care, remained flat as well during the month. Health care properties registered a 1.0 percent price increase in April. Green Street researchers attribute the slowdown in price growth to rising cap rates, which are offsetting growing rental incomes.

Green Street’s CPPI is based on unleveraged commercial property values captured from sales that are currently being negotiated or contracted.

The value-weighted U.S. composite price index tracked by research firm CoStar registered a 2.8 percent decline for the first quarter of 2017. The value-weighted index tracks sales of larger assets in core markets. On the other hand, CoStar’s equal-weighted composite price index, which looks at lower-priced sales in secondary and tertiary markets, went up by 4.8 percent during the same period.

“The recent divergence likely reflects a maturing cycle for commercial real estate investment, especially for the high-value properties in core markets that initially led the recovery,” CoStar researchers wrote in their report.

According to CoStar data, the price index for multifamily properties showed the lowest growth during the first quarter of all the property types it tracks, at 1.9 percent. Over the past two years, the multifamily index posted average quarterly increases of 2.9 percent. Indices for the other property types, including office, retail, industrial, hospitality and land, registered gains of 2.0 percent or more in the first quarter of 2017, CoStar reported.

CoStar used repeat-sale methodology in its indices.

Mark Bernardini | Banks are tightening commercial real estate loan standards - Fed

Loan officers at U.S. banks reported tightening their lending standards for commercial real estate loans over the last year, the Federal Reserve said on Monday in a report that could heighten concerns about the outlook for commercial real estate.

Officials at the U.S. central bank, including Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren, have warned that a run-up in commercial real estate prices could amplify any future economic downturn.

On Monday, the Fed said in a quarterly report that standards for overall businesses appeared largely unchanged during the first quarter. But in this latest poll of senior loan officers, the Fed included special questions on commercial real estate lending over the past year.

U.S. banks, in describing why they were tightening standards, cited "a less favorable or more uncertain outlook for CRE property prices, capitalization rates and vacancy rates," the Fed said in its report.

The Fed is putting a bigger focus this year on commercial real estate in its annual "stress tests" of how well big banks could weather financial turmoil.

Mark Bernardini | Investors Purchase High Volume of iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Call Options (IYR)

iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate (NYSE:IYR) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Investors purchased 11,849 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 118% compared to the average volume of 5,424 call options.

Shares of iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate (NYSE:IYR) opened at 78.67 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $79.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $77.43. iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate has a 52 week low of $72.11 and a 52 week high of $85.80.


iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Company Profile
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF, formerly iShares Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index Fund (the Fund), is a non-diversified fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the real estate sector of the United States equity market, and includes companies in the industry groups, such as real estate holding and development and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Mark Bernardini | Investors Purchase High Volume of iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Call Options (IYR)

iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate (NYSE:IYR) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Investors purchased 11,849 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 118% compared to the average volume of 5,424 call options.

Shares of iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate (NYSE:IYR) opened at 78.67 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $79.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $77.43. iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate has a 52 week low of $72.11 and a 52 week high of $85.80.


iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Company Profile
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF, formerly iShares Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index Fund (the Fund), is a non-diversified fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the real estate sector of the United States equity market, and includes companies in the industry groups, such as real estate holding and development and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Mark Bernardini | Alphabet paid Google CEO Sundar Pichai US$200 million in 2016

Google CEO Sundar Pichai received a US$200 million ($291m) compensation package last year for running the internet company that makes nearly all the money for Alphabet Inc.
Most of the pay consisted of Alphabet stock that the company valued at US$198.7m in securities documents filed Friday. Alphabet gave the award to Pichai in January 2016, a few months after he succeeded Larry Page as Google's CEO. Pichai still reports to Page, a Google co-founder who is now Alphabet's CEO.
Page limits his annual pay to US$1 because he already has an estimated fortune of US$41 billion.
The stock that Pichai received will vest in quarterly increments through January 2020.
The 44-year-old Pichai also received a US$650,000 salary last year in addition to personal security services and air travel valued at US$372,000.

Mark Bernardini | AccessPay sets sights on US market with £2 million debt financing

Manchester, UK-based payments router AccessPay has secured £2 million in debt financing from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank amid plans for a recruitment drive and expansion into US markets.

A specialist in cloud-based payments technology, with hundreds of UK-based customers and 35 employees, AccessPay enables payment routing through all of the major UK and international networks including Bacs, Swift, Faster Payments, Sepa and Direct Debit.

With a focus on organic growth, the orgnisation has its sights on increasing its business-reach to more than 10,000 organisations, who will join with other current high-profile clients such as Clifford Thames and European research organisation Cern.

Anish Kapoor, CEO of Accesspay says the funding will enable the business to recruit up to 60 new members of staff, including developers, sales, operations and marketing, before the end of 2017 and provides the platform for expansion into the US market later this year.

The firm has previously raised equity from two primary investors in the US: True Ventures and Route 66 Ventures.

Mark Bernardini | Number of U.S. bank branches to shrink 20 percent in five years: real estate report

The number of bank branches in the United States will shrink by as much as 20 percent in five years, according to a report from commercial real estate firm JLL.
This reduction comes as banks are looking for ways to cut costs and to encourage their customers to embrace mobile banking technology rather than completing basic transactions within a physical branch.
The U.S. banking industry could save as much as $8.3 billion annually if it trimmed the number of branches and downsized the average bank branch from 5,000 to 3,000 square feet, JLL found.
U.S. banks have reduced their footprint by around 8 percent since the financial crisis, from 97,000 branches to roughly 90,000.

Mark Bernardini | Canada-based real estate software firm transfers its U.S. headquarters

A leading Canada-based real estate software and technology corporation is moving its U.S. headquarters to Dallas to ensure a wider reach, the firm announced.

Based in Toronto and serving over 10,000 real estate firms and entities across North America, Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies said that its former headquarters in Las Vegas will remain in operation. The centre of the company’s U.S. operations will be relocating to a 25,000-square-foot office space in the 717 Harwood tower in downtown Dallas.

“This building can accommodate the future growth potential for the company which anticipates potentially leasing up to 100,000 square feet over time,” according to the company’s filings with the city’s Economic Development Committee, as quoted by Dallas News.

“Also, the downtown location offers a favorable ability to attract technology workers in specialties of information technology, software engineering and systems architecture, along with other related fields.”

The firm added that a further 150 jobs will be made available in the new headquarters.

“We are recruiting pretty heavily down in Dallas,” Lone Wolf’s vice president for marketing Kate Annis said. “It’s a great place for technology and we are excited to be down there.”

“Expansion in the U.S. is our focus over the next few years.”

Mark Bernardini | Frivolous spends are leaving Brits out of pocket to the tune of £400 a year, new research has found.

Three quarters of Brits are frittering cash on purchases they don’t need on a daily basis, from takeaway coffees to nail varnishes. These unnecessary spends cost around £32.66 a month, leaving people almost £400 out of pocket every year, money which they could be saving instead of wasting.

Almost half of adults admit their extravagant spending means they often buy things they don’t need when shopping, just because the items are close to the till, with many saying they gorge on snacks they don’t want but can’t resist. Special offers on food and sale items are also among the top three impulse spends.

Kris Brewster, Head of Products for Skipton Building Society, who commissioned the research, said: “It’s surprising to see how much all of these little, everyday expenses can add up to, and how avoidable they can be. And if we’re honest, those ‘one-off’ bigger purchases are probably much more regular than we think as we sleepwalk into spending our money.

“It’s important that people stop and make the time to pause and think about their finances, considering how their spending habits big and small could have an impact on their personal savings. Without taking this time, we can all be led into to wasting money, just because bargains look too good to refuse!”

Top 20 daily frivolous purchases

Snacks you don’t really want but can’t resist the temptation
Special offers on food
Sale items you just can’t refuse
Impulse checkout sweets when queuing
Buying clothes you only wear once
Scratch cards
Buying clothes which then sit in the wardrobe, without being worn once
Lottery tickets
Lunch out instead of taking a packed lunch to work
Takeaway tea and coffee
Flowers for the house
Buying pre-chopped vegetables because you’re too lazy to cut your own
Nail varnishes when you have 20+ pots at home
Makeup
Useless kitchen gadgets
Magazines you don’t end up reading
Brand new notebooks even though you have several unused at home
Vitamin pills which you only remember to take for a couple of days
Shoes which don’t fit properly and you can’t be bothered to take back
Paying for subscription TV and then only watching a couple of channels

Tips to Save Money

Give up the daily coffee
Ditching the daily takeaway coffee habit could save a surprising amount over the course of a year. Giving up a £3-a-day coffee could save around £700 a year. Invest in a half-decent coffee machine and make coffee at home for pennies instead.

Skip the odd takeaway or meal out
Save a few pounds (cash and weight) and break out the cook books rather than takeaway menus. Cutting back on one £25 takeaway or meal out a month will save £300 over the year, as well as being good for your waistline. Plus, it’s a well-known fact that homemade food tastes better than anything you buy.

Downgrade your phone contract
With contracts for the latest flagship phones easily costing £50 or more a month in many cases, trading down to a much cheaper SIM-only deal can save a small fortune. By shopping around, you may be able to shave off £35 or more from your monthly bill. Over the course of a year, that could add up to £420.

Slash that massive pay TV package
Are you paying for satellite or cable TV channels or a package that you hardly use, like sports or movies? A top-of-the-range pay TV subscription can cost as much as £70 a month. Opting for a more basic package could save around £50 a month – or you could consider Freeview, which is free-to-air – and watch any big matches in the pub, saving as much as £600 a year .

Axe your gym membership
How many people signed up to the gym in a bloated, post-Christmas pang of guilt, only to trail off by late January? Get your running shoes on instead, hit the local pool or join the craze for bodyweight workouts (that’s doing press-ups and sit-ups for the rest of us). You could save £300 to £600 a year .

Skip the night on the town
With a night out weighing in at as much as £60, giving your wallet and liver a break once in a while can be a good idea. Stay home one extra night a month and save up to £720 a year.

Have some patience with gadgets and games
Are you the kind of person who just has to have the latest gadget or game as soon as it comes out? Maybe you time your phone upgrades around the Apple release cycle? The price of phones, consoles and other gadgets all tend to fall quite rapidly after their initial release – so having a little patience and waiting a few months can often be a shrewd move. Depending on how many you buy a year, you could save a few hundred pounds

Mark Bernardini | Russia denies involvement after US charges two FSB officers over 'state-sponsored' cyber attack

The Russian government says that its agents weren't involved in hacking 500 million Yahoo accounts after the US charged two spies two spies over a “state-sponsored” cyber attack.

The Kremlin said its FSB domestic intelligence service was not involved in any unlawful activity. It appeared to suggest that no Russian intelligence agents have ever hacked anyone else.

This week it emerged that the US Department of Justice would charge two Russian spies with hacking into Yahoo in one of the biggest cyber attacks in history. It said that FSB agents had paid hackers to steal people's email accounts and try and gather information about journalists and politicians.

Dmitry Peskov claimed Russia had received no official information about the charges and had gleaned all it knew about the case from media reports.

“We have said repeatedly that there can be no discussion of any official involvement of any Russian office, including the FSB being involved in any unlawful cyber activities,” he added.

The Department of Justice announced the prosecutions on Wednesday, calling the 2014 hack “one of the largest data breaches in US history”.

“The defendants include two officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), an intelligence and law enforcement agency of the Russian Federation and two criminal hackers with whom they conspired to accomplish these intrusions, “ said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord.

“The Department of Justice is continuing to send the powerful message that we will not allow individuals, groups, nation states or a combination of them to compromise the privacy of our citizens, the economic interests of our companies, or the security of our country.”

She named two FSB officers, Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin, who allegedly directed and paid hackers Alexsey Belan and Karim Baratov.

They are accused of targeting the Yahoo accounts of Russian and American government officials, including cyber security, diplomatic and military personnel, as well as Russian journalists other network providers and financial services employees.

Mark Bernardini | Avoid this while hiring an event staff

Mark Bernardini is the founder and owner of PUSH marketing & promotions NY/NJ, the fastest growing live marketing and event staffing agencies. Mark Bernardini has established himself as a major player in the live marketing and social media marketing business. He has a Strong creative sense and ability to deliver innovative and strategic programs that are relevant and highly effective.

Mark Bernardini has established a long standing partnerships with many of the top players at the leading advertising, promotional and event marketing agencies and Fortune 500 marketers nationwide.

Mark has an extensive background in the special events and nightlife industry, providing premium talent and marketing resources to his valued clients for some of the biggest VIP events and marketing campaigns across the country. PUSH is the industry leader for brand ambassadors, event talent and promotional modeling staff.  We have 90,000 talented brand ambassadors, the largest team in North America on standby ready to represent your brand. Mark Bernardini has more than 20+ years of experience.

Mark is into this industry for over many years and knows how to take it to next level. He has worked for many reputable companies and promote their business with his marketing and promotional strategies. With his smart and talented staff he is providing services to many well-known companies of the nation.

In this blog Mark Bernardini has enlisted 10 mistakes you should not make when hiring event staff.

According to Mark Bernardini, success of any event mostly depends on its event staff, how they are working and how well they engage with the audience. Event staff represents your company as they are the face of your brand who helps you to build relationships with your clients. Sometimes to just move on with the event, we overlook staffing that can be really harmful for the event. It can even flop your show. Thereby, to avoid such mistakes you should follow these tips while hiring event staff.

Delaying the Decision Process

One of the worst mistakes an event planner can make when hiring event staff is taking too long to make a decision. While event staff understands that a lot goes into planning and executing an event as they also have their own personal schedules. Delaying the decision process for more than 1-2 weeks can make unavailability of top event staff. Thereby to ensure that you will offer a best quality event staff, you must avoid delaying the process and keep it as short as possible. Besides keeping the decision process short, you must keep in mind that event staff represents your company. They are the face of your promotion. Therefore you need to be very careful while hiring your event staff as it is very necessary to hire, keeping your brand image in mind.

Overlooking event’s needs and not consulting the team:

You cannot overlook the needs of the event says, Mark Bernardini. Before hiring a staff take care of some particular factors like size, length and the audience. Keeping such factors in mind will help you to get ideal number of staff you require. It is also very important to consider the other members of the team. You cannot take decisions on your own, as nothing can be worse than having a team who is not together, so be sure to take decisions after consulting your team while selecting the staff.  

According to Mark Bernardini, if you are working in a team, everyone’s consultation is recommended as it makes the decision more accurate and makes your business strong.

Hiring staff without interviewing them:

Whatever be the purpose of hiring a staff, you must interview them, said Mark Bernardini. He adds, be it modelling or ambassador, one must be hired in a proper manner. Without interviewing, asking general questions related to your industry you cannot come to a decision.

For event staffing, ask important event staffing questions first. Not interviewing event staff is the biggest mistake that most of the companies make.

Not asking for Photographs:

While interviewing the event staff you should always ask for their updated resume and photographs. Though in some countries, asking for photos is allowed in modelling agencies only but as per Mark Bernardini it is an important step to be followed for any event staffing agency. Without having a photograph or resume you cannot take any decision on hiring process as these items will help you to determine whether their credentials and experience are ideal for your brand or company. Thereby, non- collection of photos and resume can be termed as harmful for any agency.

Working with unprofessional event staffing company:

It is always better to hire professional and reliable event staffing company. Quality of the event staff directly correlates with the amount you pay. Sometimes, to save money we hire unprofessional event staff, causing downfall of the agency. Instead of spending less or saving money always go for experienced and reliable staff who not only provides best service but also glorify the future of your company.

Not sharing necessary information with event staff:

Your company is your identity. While hiring event staff you must share necessary details and information of your company. Doing so will keep your staff well informed and prepared to face any situation and answer the questions related to the company.

Retaining Job Information

It is important to be updated with all the candidates about the duties of your event. Although it may seem far better to leave out the downsides or flaws of the staffing role, it may consequence in more stress. By being sincere with your applicants about their roles throughout the event, they are most likely to work the overall event

Hiring based on looks

Eventually, one of the greatest blunders event planners make while choosing event staff is hiring based on appearance. While looks are an important aspect for gaining attention, but it is more essential to hire event staff based on experience level, professionalism, and personality. Event staff that is hired for reasons other than looks are more likely to deliver the outcomes your team is looking for.

Mark Bernardini says that for an event planner, hiring an event staff is the most important work that needs full attention and dedication. It is an essential factor to get lead so it should be treated as such. Mark Bernardini is the founder of PUSH agency, a New Jersey based live marketing and promotional event staffing company. Push agency provides turn-key event staffing services, social integration and support for special events, promotions, trade shows, street teams, in-store product demos and other branding and marketing campaigns.

How to become a professional event planner | Mark Bernardini

Event planners are the miracle workers of events. They bring the possibility to that which ordinarily, seems impossible.

Too numerous are they that like to claim for themselves the title- ‘Event planner.’ These are the ones whom in reality, knows very little about planning an event. Their lack of awareness lends invitation to disarray; making an event totally different from what it should have been if it was coordinated by a professional event planner.  

For example, think of a flopped function you have attended before. I mean an event characterized by disorganization and complaints. Now upon enquiry, try seek out the group or person who was behind the stage, and you shall find an acclaimed event planner; one of those proud agents of disarrangement.  

Who is a professional event planner?

A professional event planner is a person that brings life and sway to an event; a developer of grace and beauty. And this is made possible because a professional events planner knows first, what planning an event entails.

So you want to become an event planner? Not just an event planner but a professional event planner? Then you I think it is ideal for you to  know first- what every professional event planner first knew.

What is event planning?

Event planning can be defined as the process of managing a function such as a meeting, convention, trade show, ceremony, party, e.t.c.

Event planning also includes budgeting, establishing timeliness, selecting and reserving the event sites, acquiring permits, planning food, coordinating transportation, developing a theme, arranging for activities, selecting speakers and keynotes, arranging for equipment and facilities, managing risk, and developing contingency plans.

With this in mind, it becomes easier to understand that becoming a professional event planner has more to do with just desire alone. Education, experience and passion must not be found wanting in a professional event planner..

What do I need to become a professional event planner?

1. Education: Although having a degree in event planning is not a criteria for becoming a professional event planner, still, it is a good idea because it makes it possible for you to have a good knowledge to begin with.
2. Experience: Experience is golden, and everyone knows this. Whether an event planner has a college degree or not, many clients expect to see event planning experience on a resume. Even an amateur event planner can boast of one or two years of experience. Professionalism evolves with time, it grows with experience.
3. Passion: Passion is like a fire, it burns. A professional event planner must possess this fire; the fire to succeed.

What are the duties of a professional event planner?

1. Before Event: Professional event planners work closely with their clients to determine the purpose and scope of an event. The client establishes the time and location, and sets for the planner a budget to work with. Working under these parameters, the event planner seeks bids from local meeting places and providers. An example of such service provider, is a catering service.
2. During Event:The event planner supervises setup for the event, including the use of equipments while the event progresses. The planner strives to meet the needs of his host and guest in other to make every aspect of the event successful.
3. After Event: Inspection, accountability and cleanup.

4. What skills should a professional event Planner have?

   • Tolerance
   • Multitasking
   • Negotiation skill
   • Visionary
   • Creativity

   How to become a successful professional event planner:

1. Develop event Goal and Objective
2. Organize a planning team
3. Set a Date (Give yourself enough time)
4. Create an event  master Plan
5. Determine Administrative Process
6. Create a Publicity Plan
7. Establish a Budget
8. Determine Evaluation Process                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    In conclusion, it should be emphasized that professional event planner makes sure the event stays on schedule and that featured speakers or performers are prepared and cued. At the end, the event planner is responsible for supervising cleanup. The planner meets with the client to review the event, discuss bills and receive payment. Read More...

Mark Bernardini | Push NY/NJ works with under armour and fight for children to raise over $5 million at fight night 2015

When Push Marketing & Promotions NY/NJ was approached by Fight For Children and main event sponsor Under Armour to serve as their event staffing partner for Fight Night 2015, they jumped at the chance to be involved with such a worthy charitable cause. Fight Night is a premiere fundraiser that raises money to help improve the health and education of at-risk children in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore areas.

As one of the most storied local events of the year, the 26th annual Fight Night held at the Washington Hilton on Thursday, November 5th was a star-studded affair. In attendance were nearly 2,000 heavyweights of business, government, philanthropy, sports and entertainment. PUSH was tapped to staff 230 promotional models to serve as event hostesses and cocktail servers as well as provide dynamic atmosphere models. “This was one of our most challenging but rewarding assignments to date.”, stated PUSH NY/NJ owner Mark Bernardini. “We were tasked with providing a large number of promotional staff who not only enhanced the atmosphere with their stunning looks, but made sure the event attendees were well taken care of in their roles as hostesses. Most importantly, they all acted as goodwill ambassadors to Under Armour and Fight For Children by contributing to the positive energy, spirit and enjoyment of the evening. I am very proud of our promotional staff as everyone rose to the occasion and customer service was noted at all time high.” By all accounts the evening was a huge success, raising more than $5 million for Fight For Children which was an all-time record for the event.

During the entertainment portion of the evening, there was a special tribute to Muhammad Ali. The values that Mr. Ali believed in and fought for is also the core mission of Fight For Children. Mr. Ali believed that all kids deserved the same opportunity to pursue their dreams regardless of their background or their financial limitations. Other entertainment included a sneak preview of the upcoming Sylvester Stallone boxing drama “Creed” with a special appearance from the film’s star, Michael B. Jordan. Special appearances from the boxing world included James “Buster” Douglas, Leon Spinks, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and Aaron Pryor as well as boxing greats Ernie Shavers and Gerry Cooney. The night’s main event included professional and amateur boxing matches, highlighted by the WBC welterweight fight between Javier Flores and Jamie Herrera.

About Fight Night/Fight For Children:

Fight For Children was founded in 1990 with the goal of improving the lives of children in low-income neighborhoods in Washington, DC. Their mission is to strengthen schools by providing school leaders and teachers the training and tools they need to help students succeed. Fight Night has been Fight For Children’s main annual fundraising event, raising more than $50 million dollars since it’s inaugural year due to the generosity of it’s partners, supporters and contributors including Kevin Plank and Under Armour.  As part of it’s new mission Fight For Children will invest all revenue from Fight Night into early childhood education with a goal to make early childhood education in DC the best in the nation.

About PUSH Marketing & Promotions NY/NJ:

PUSH Marketing & Promotions NY/NJ has the largest staffing database in North America with over 60,000 of the most talented and experienced event staff, promotional models and brand ambassadors in the business. PUSH provides staffing for marketing campaigns, trade shows, mobile tours, street team campaigns and much more for brands both large and small. PUSH has 10 offices throughout the United States and the most extensive staffing network in the industry. Read More...

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10 Tips for Being More Productive With Your Sales and Marketing Efforts | Mark Bernardini

Not all sales and marketing strategies are created equal. Some require a lot of work and resources for very little reward. And others are actually optimized to get more done with less. Here are some tips from our small business community for getting more done with your sales and marketing efforts.

Make Sure Your Employees Are as Productive as Possible

In order for your business to accomplish its goals, you need productive team members. But there are some things you might be missing when it comes to making your employees as productive as possible. In this Planday post, Lisa Andersen elaborates.

Sync Up Your Sales and Marketing

Your sales and marketing efforts don’t necessarily have to be intertwined in order to be effective. But when they’re completely out of sync, it can be difficult to really find the right direction for your business. This post on the Your Guerrilla Marketer blog by Rick Verbanas outlines what you can do in that situation.

Win More With Social Media

Businesses are increasingly relying on social media as part of their marketing and sales efforts. But you need to make sure that your social media strategy is going to be one that actually helps to sustain those efforts, as Martin Zwilling details in this Startup Professionals Musings post. You can also see commentary on the post over on BizSugar.

Create a Winning Value Proposition

You can’t hope for any of your sales or marketing efforts to be effective if you don’t have an effective value proposition. In this SUCCESS Agency blog post, Mary Blackiston explains the importance of having a great value proposition and offers some tips for creating one.

Create Epic Nurture Campaigns

Getting new customers is an important part of sales and marketing. But nurturing your existing customers is just as, if not more, important. So this Marketing Land post by Mary Wallace includes some tips for creating epic nurture campaigns.

Use These Tips for Instagram Stories

Instagram stories is a relatively new social media platform that businesses can use to share narratives and behind the scenes shots. This Divahound post by Shannon Huppin includes some tips and ideas you can use to make your Instagram stories memorable. And BizSugar members share their own thoughts here.

Get the Most From Your Board

If your business has a board of directors or any other type of leadership board, they can also be instrumental in making sure that your business runs as efficiently as possible — and this takes in the areas of selling and marketing too. In this Biz Epic post, John Southwell offers tips for making sure that you get the most from your board.

Benefit Your Business With App Store Optimization Techniques

If your business uses mobile apps of any kind, then you need to be able to optimize those apps for app stores if you want to get the most out of them. You can learn more about some of the most effective techniques in this Techlofy post by Ashfaq Ahmad.

Use Twitter Video to Attract the Right Followers

Having the right followers on social media is absolutely essential for making your strategy as effective as possible. And Twitter video is one way that you can work to attract the people who are going to be most relevant to your small business, as Svitlana Latysheva explains here on Post Planner. And the BizSugar community also shares input on the post here. Read More...