Plantastic Events | Podcast

Learn about fun ways to host trivia at your next event fun ways to host trivia and you’ll get a chance to learn about the culture behind sneakers! Our guests for this episode are Terry Francis and Mike Baker. Both are founders of The Sneaker University and Can I Kick It. The Sneaker University is a sneaker and urban culture convention held exclusively on college campuses. The events usually feature live music, sneaker customizations, door prizes, and surprises throughout the show. Can I Kick It? Is the South’s premier culture brand and sneaker accessories. Hot topics for episode 27: What are the different types of sneaker events hosted nationally What are the different types of products that you can host at certain events What is the sneaker culture   Produce by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: sneakers, culture, hip-hop, events, festivals, educational, universities, Tuskegee, vendors, Alabama, college campus, event planning, event management, social media. All for event professionals.

Learn about local, national and international festivals and events associations. You’ll get a chance to learn about the benefits of joining such associations and how you can join the associations with our guest Stephanie McIntyre. She is the Executive Director for the North Carolina Seafood Festival. She is also on the board of different associations including the Southeast Festivals and Events Association and the North Carolina Festivals and Events Association. She’ll also give you a glimpse about the North Carolina Seafood Festival. Hot topics for episode 26: What are the different types of festivals and events associations, locally, nationally, and internationally What are the benefits of joining and why is it important How much do you have to budget for these associations What are some of the resources and awards hosted by these associations Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: festivals, event associations, festival associations, CFEE, educational, certifications, IFEA, SFEA, seafood, foodies, No

Learn about the famous and award-winning National Banana Pudding Festival. You’ll also get a chance to learn how they host their famous cook-offs too. If you’re a foodie and you love banana pudding, get ready to go banana for this episode! Our guest is Peggy Owen and she is the co-chairman of the National Banana Pudding Festival which is a two-day festival in Centerville, Tennessee. At the festival, you’ll get a chance to see some of the best entertainment for all ages and live cook-offs. You can also stroll through the “Puddin’ Path” and taste ten different banana puddings made by local non-profit organizations. The National Banana Pudding Festival has won the SFEA Best Festival Award and has been named a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event. Hot topics for episode 25: How, why and when National Banana Pudding Festival started The unique types of banana puddings How they host cook-offs and bring experienced judges How they bring in worldwide attendees Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: festivals,

Event coordinators are ranked the fifth most stressful jobs after firefighter and soldier! In this episode of Plantastic Events, you’ll learn about why event coordinators have one of the toughest jobs in the world but also learn about ways to reduce the stress and take mental breaks. Our guests are Nisha Khan and Dr. Fatima Wasim. They are from Raksha, which is a Georgia non-profit organization for the South Asian Community. Raksha addresses social issues such as family and sexual violence and divorce, as well as issues concerning children, senior citizens and new immigrants. Nisha is a Therapist and Dr. Wasim is the Clinical Director for Raksha and has a practice in Georgia. Both have a background in mental health and are here to talk about the importance of taking care of your mental health. Hot topics for episode 24: Why are event coordinators so stressed How do you know when you’re stressed How do you deal with burnout or stress What are some of the mental breaks that event coordinators can take Produce

Learn about the Georgia Peach Festival and the history of the peach in Georgia. You’ll also get a chance to hear the special recipe for the world’s largest peach cobbler. Our guest is Tisa Horton, she is not only the manager for the Austin Theater in Fort Valley but also hosts the famous Georgia Peach Festival. The Georgia Peach Festival is a week-long festival hosted in two Peach cities: Byron and Fort Valley. Georgia ranks third in the nation in annual production of peaches and are arguably the sweetest and tastiest grown in the world. The Georgia Peach Festival started in 1986 to honor peach growers for their contribution to our state's economy and to the food industry nationwide. The festival attracts over 10,000 people each year. Hot topics for episode 23: How, why, and when Georgia Peach Festival started The famous celebrities that will perform at the festival The world’s largest peach cobbler and the recipe to make it The search for vendor and sponsors Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: festi

Events in Atlanta with Daniel Easton Learn about Atlantic Station and how they host their community events in Atlanta. You’ll also get a chance to learn how you can host your event or festival with Atlantic Station. Our guest is Daniel Easton, he has been the Marketing Director for Atlantic Station for six years and initially joined to create the concierge services. Prior to his role, Daniel also worked with the Coca-Cola Company for 12 years. Atlantic Station opened in 2005 and is known as a city within a city with over 35 retailers and 17 restaurants. Hot topics for episode 22: The types of community festivals and events Atlantic Station hosts Ways to host your event at Atlantic Station Some creative ways to market festivals and events Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: festivals, sponsors, event planning, event management, budget, events, parade, festival, marketing, Atlanta, Atlantic Station and revenue. All for event professionals.

Get More Sponsors with Debbie Mason Learn about new and exciting ways to increase your sponsorship for your events and festivals with Debbie Mason from Peachtree Corners. Debbie Mason has invested in Peachtree Corners for over 26 years! She helps the citizens of Peachtree Corners make memories through special events in Peachtree Corners. She helped create two local non-profit events, Peachtree Corners Festival in 2010 and Christmas in the Corners, Inc. (Parade) in 2013, and serves as the Chair for fundraising on both boards. Debbie also continues to serve on the boards of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, United Peachtree Corners Civic Association, and Fox Hill Homeowner’s Association. Hot topics for episode 21: How to do research on sponsors before meeting with them Making a personal connection with large sponsors Best timing to collect and secure sponsorships Creative ways to retain sponsors and maintain communication Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: festivals, sponsors, event planning, event mana

Got Food? With Sarika and Mayuresh Mahatme Learn about how food vendors handle their business during events and festivals and get an inside glimpse of Pot Bharoon, a famous local catering business. Pot Bharoon is catering company, which includes Indo-Chinese, South-Indian, North-Indian cuisines and custom cakes. They have years of experience in this industry and have perfected their food. They cater for many large events and have their booths at many different events and festivals. They are also planning to open up their restaurant in Georgia. Hot topics for episode 020: How and when Pot Bharoon started How they work with festivals and events throughout Georgia What makes them so unique Learn about their custom cakes and unique catering business Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: festival vendors, foodies, food festivals, delicious foods, desserts, event planning, event management, cake, South Asian, cuisines, culinary, Indian. All for event professionals.

Taste of Alpharetta with Emily Dillard and Hilary Lew Learn more about the famous Taste of Alpharetta with Emily Dillard and Hilary Lew and how they host over 30,000 people for their food festival. This episode of Plantastic Events will give you an inside glimpse of the Taste of Alpharetta with our guests Emily Dillard and Hilary Lew. They manage the events at the City of Alpharetta including the upcoming Taste of Alpharetta, which has over 60 different restaurants and draws over 30,000 people! The festival also includes concerts, culinary competition, kid activities, art exhibits, and so much more. The Taste of Alpharetta is one of the most popular festivals in the South. Emily and Hilary will share how they host this awesome festival and so much more! Hot topics for episode 019: How and when Taste of Alpharetta started How they find local vendors and diverse food options What are some of the creative themes What are some of the entertainments Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: foodies, food festiv

Cultural Events with Alta Schwartz and Akram Ibrahim Learn more about the Atlanta Arab Festival and how they host over 5,000 people for their festival! This episode of Plantastic Events will give you a glimpse of the Atlanta Arab Festival with our guests Alta Schwartz and Akram Ibrahim. Alta and Akram are both with Alif Institute and host many different events including the well-known Atlanta Arab Festival. The Atlanta Arab Festival is a 2-day festival, which started in 2006. The festival reaches around 5,000 attendees per year! Not only do they have live music entertainment, amazing food, fun activities for children but it’s also educational to learn more about the Arab culture. Hot topics for episode 018: How and when the Atlanta Arab Festival started What are some of the commonalities and differences in the Arab culture What are some of the different types of art, food, and activities during the festival Produced by Stoogeapp.com Topics include: cultural, festivals, Arab, entertainment, food, event plann

One Community with Megan Carnell and Madison Navarro Involving the community during festivals and events can not only help to boost community pride but also cut cost and time preparing the event. Learn about different ways you can involve your local community members and businesses for your next event. This episode of Plantastic Events will teach you the benefits of involving the community and tips on how to increase community pride for your festivals and events. Our guests include Megan Carnell and Madison Navarro from the City of Sugar Hill. Megan and Madison manage the events at the City of Sugar Hill including the famous, The Bowl, which is a unique amphitheater located in Downtown Sugar Hill. They host a number of concerts with many famous celebrities and it has a capacity to seat 1,750 people! Megan and Madison also host the Sugar Rush, which has around 12,000 attendees! Hot topics for episode 017: The story of Sugar Rush and The Bowl How to increase community involvement with your festival or event Pr

Duluth Fall Festival with Kay Montgomery Learn more about the famous Duluth Fall Festival and how they host over 100,000 people for their festival. This episode of Plantastic Events will give you an inside glimpse of the Duluth Fall Festival with our guest Kay Montgomery. Kay is a former Chairperson for the Duluth Fall Festival since its inception. Kay has been with Duluth Fall Festival for over 38 years! The festival is one of the most successful festivals in the southeast with around 100,000 people that show up. The festival has also earned many awards for Duluth Fall Festival including the 2015 Best Large Festival in Southeast award by the Southeast Festivals and Events Association. She is also the owner of Parsons Gallery since 2000. Hot topics for episode 016: What makes Duluth Fall Festival so unique How and when Duluth Fall Festival started Some of their creative Fall themes The different types of entertainments Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: Fall festival, festivals, cities, entertainmen

Pump It Up! with DJ Q-Tip Having a successful event or festival is not just about having the best food or venue, it’s also about finding the right entertainment. More importantly, you need to find the right DJ for your event. Learn about best practices in the DJ world and how to book a DJ for your next event or festival. This episode of Plantastic Events podcast will you teach you about the DJing world and best practices to make a memorable event with our guest Gabriel Peck. Gabriel is a DJ based in Atlanta, Georgia with over 25 years of experience. He is also known as DJ Q-Tip. He plays for many festivals, events and many upscale corporate sponsors such as the Malibu Rum Spring Break Tour, Celebrity and NFL/NBA Sporting Events. You can be sure to hear the best in Open-Format tracks that include 90's, EDM, Pop, Top 40, Trap, Rock, Hip-Hop, Reggae, 80's, R&B, 70's, Dance and much more. Hot topics for episode 015: How to work with events on a tight budget and multiple decision-makers Creative ways to attra

Every festival provides an experience but you want to give the best experience to all your attendees. Learn how to maximize your sponsorship exposure in creative ways to leave a lasting experience. This episode of Plantastic Events podcast will you teach you how to improve your sponsorship game with our guest, Amy Doherty. Amy is the Events Manager for the City of Suwanee. Amy is responsible for over 40 events that are produced by the city and she has worked with the city for over 12 years. The events include privately planned events, festivals, races, food truck, beer/wine, bluegrass, jazz, and so many more events! Suwanee events have earned many awards under her leadership and continue to win. When she’s not at work, she is spending time with her family in Suwanee and they’ve lived in Suwanee for over 20 years. Hot topics for episode 014: Creative ways to boost sponsorship exposure before, during, and after an event Tips on getting your sponsors to participate and engage with attendees Boost sponsor and ve

Learn about the event planning world for non-profits and fundraisers. This episode of Plantastic Events podcast will teach you how non-profits host events for the community with our guest, Yotin Srivanjarean. Yotin is the Vice President at the Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS). CPACS is a private non-profit based in Atlanta, GA. CPACS is the first, largest and oldest organization in the Southeast to focus on issues and concerns of Asian Americans, especially women, children and families with low incomes. Hot topics for episode 013: Tips on raising money for a cause or current event How to train and manage volunteers for a large event Tips on hosting events for political awareness How to work with different communities with different languages Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: non-profits, event management, fundraising, civic engagement, event planning, volunteer recruitment, T.E.A. walk, empowerment, political awareness. All for event professionals.

Learn about the ins and outs of hosting a beer festival that leave beer-lovers always coming back for more. This episode of Plantastic Events podcast will give you a glimpse behind Atlanta Beer Festivals and how they partner with local breweries and different cities throughout Georgia with our guest, Mike DiLonardo. Mike is the Director of Operations at Atlanta Beer Festivals. He is in charge of all the Atlanta Beer Festival business operations, festival logistics, corporate partnerships, and marketing. They host over 14 events per year throughout Georgia including Atlanta Winter, Spring and Summer Beer Fest, Atlanta Brunch Festival and Wine Festivals too. Approximately 3000 or more people attend the festivals and they have over 150 different beers! Hot topics for episode 012: How to build a super team to help with all the logistical needs How to find the best breweries and how to build partnerships with breweries in US How to deal with sudden weather-related issues How to partner with different cities for l

As an event planner, it is incredibly important for you to make sure that you create a safe environment for all your guests and have a secure venue. This episode of Plantastic Events podcast will teach you how to improve your security planning to better identify security issues and to ensure a safe and secure event, with our guest, Courtney Spriggs. Courtney Spriggs is the Milton Community Outreach and Engagement Manager. She creates community engagement and builds relationship through many community events. Prior to her current role, she spent 15 years in law enforcement. Although she is not in law enforcement anymore, she still volunteers as the secretary to the board of directors of the Sgt. David P. Land Memorial Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 82. They aid officers and their families in North Fulton and Forsyth, Hall and Dawson counties. Hot topics for episode 011: How to build a team that focuses on security prior to the event Ideas to improve coordination with law enforcement officers and city pol

Want to be a better public speaker and boost your confidence, especially when you're organizing events?  This episode of Plantastic Events podcast will teach you how to become a better public speaker and engage with your audience so that you leave a lasting impression with our guest, Jim Cathcart. Jim Cathcart is an entrepreneur, an award-winning motivational speaker, and an author. He is a TEDx presenter with over 1 1/4 million views and his videos are on Top 1% worldwide, was inducted into the Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame by Top Sales World Magazine, and an author of 18 books including the international bestsellers: The Acorn Principle, The Self Motivation Handbookand Relationship Selling. He has also delivered over 3,100 professional speeches around the world! Hot topics for episode 010: Tips to boost confidence while speaking Ideas to better engage with your audience and how to make your presentation more interactive How to flip your mindset to focus on helping your audience instead of your speech

Are you interested in hosting a comedy event? Hosting a comedy event can be very exciting but also challenging! You have to attract the right audience and the right talent. This episode of Plantastic Events podcast will teach you how to successfully host comedy events with our guest, James Byndon. James Byndon is the president and CEO of JABB Pro Inc., which is a multi-media production company formed in 1996. He has produced seven short films and was called an Award Winning Producer by the film festival for his best short film. He is also a famous percussionist with an emphasis on drums and has been playing for over 40 years! Overall, James has a unique background as an entrepreneur, producer, videographer, editor and musician! James will talk about the following topics:  Right venue to host a live comedy event Topics for comedians and off-limit topics How to find the right talent for comedy shows How to do you deal with no-show performers  Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: film production, event m

Startups are often built based on a bad experience and a founder just wants to fix it and not realizing how many people experience the same pain point. This is an episode of how Stooge started and why it all started. This episode is an extra episode to give you a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes and you'll get an opportunity to meet our CEO, Aly Hussaini! Aly Hussaini is the CEO and co-founder of Stooge. He specializes in developing iOS and Android apps, platform design, web integration, database management, consumer thinking, and analytics enhancement to Stooge. Prior to Stooge, he led technology development in public safety and provided business intelligence and analytics consulting in healthcare and finance industries. Aly will talk about the following topics: Aly’s childhood stories on programming The inspiration to Stooge Stooge company values Stooge’s first customers Produced by Stoogeapp.com. Topics include: founder story, event planning, event management, event technology, event management