Trying to find a perfect venue to hold a special event for family and friends or stage a corporate event can be complicated. There are so many options—many of which are very common and quite predictable. Therefore, finding a venue that captivates all who attend so guests talk about it for years to come is bound to be memorable for all the right reasons.

Consider Sydney, a stunning city blessed with so many remarkable natural features, most notably its location by the ocean. In this article, we help you consider the decision to choose some of the best luxury boat hire Sydney can provide. It is guaranteed to be a total success. Read on for 6 reasons why hiring a luxury boat in Sydney creates a memorable occasion.

No. 1

Luxury & Location

The high-end allure of a luxury boat rental is assured to make a remarkable impression as soon as your guests set sight on the vessel. With a wide range of vessels available to suit all requirements, offering a tailor-made and unrivaled experience is within arms reach. Why go looking for traditional venues, which many people have attended functions at in the past when there are stunning views and backdrops waiting to be added to an event?

No. 2

First-class service & Hospitality

The state-of-the-art amenities that are provided on the finest and most prestigious vessels available go perfectly with the highest standard of furnishings. The first-class service offered by the crew ensures that guests are fully attended to with the finest hospitality. Whether using a vessel for business or pleasure, it is guaranteed to create a fantastic environment.

No. 3

Unrivaled Comfort & Setting

The unparalleled level of luxury and comfort creates an unmatched winning formula, whether guests enjoy the indoor air-conditioning or outdoor deck views while soaking up the sun. The spacious outdoor views set the backdrop for exceptional experiences. Guests can also enjoy the cornucopia of indulgent luxury that is provided along with state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment and comfortable seating.

No. 4

Customizable Packages

All specific event requirements can be met through a range of customizable packages. Maybe it’s the launch of a new product, or to announce a new signing for a sports team. Perhaps there are major sponsors and investors of a corporation who will be enticed to renew contracts while onboard and enjoying the incredible ambiance. Or perhaps a special wedding anniversary or significant birthday will be the occasion for such enjoyment.

No. 5

Premium Dining & ambiance

No need is left unmet onboard a luxury yacht, and the highest quality standards are met with great importance. Premium beverages are available from the licensed onboard bar. Throughout your stay, chef-cooked menus using the freshest and highest-quality ingredients are prepared. This ensures that all guests are fully catered for leaving them only to enjoy the stunning views of the oceanscape through panoramic windows.

No. 6

Once In A Lifetime Memories

Those with a romantic streak might just hit the jackpot when deciding to hire an overnight luxury charter. You may choose to head to a port city, or quiet cove, or just enjoy all the magnificence that Sydney Harbour offers. This might even be the perfect opportunity to pop a question or even head off to enjoy a special anniversary with your significant other.

Takeaways

If you want to stand out from the crowd, choosing to hire a luxury yacht in Sydney is a versatile option for many types of occasions and is guaranteed to create wonderful memories for all those in attendance. With so many memorable experiences to gain, there is no question that an adventure onboard a luxury vessel will set the tone for an extravagant outcome.

Nowadays, running a small business requires more than old-school marketing and promotional techniques. Aside from being active on social media and knowing the ins and outs of digital marketing, finding creative ways to gain exposure for your brand is ideal.

Pinterest

One way to do this is by utilizing custom event badges as a marketing and branding tool. These promotional tools are relatively inexpensive and can ensure that your business stands out amongst new and existing customers as well as competing brands.

A key advantage of custom event badges is that they are the perfect marketing tool due to their quick production time and versatility. Whether you need them for a concert that is taking place two months from now, or a last-minute sales rally, you can have them produced in a short period of time to meet any deadline.

Not only will you be able to use them to motivate your staff and build pride in your company culture, but your clients will receive a good impression and will most likely keep their event badge as a souvenir or keepsake that will last in their memory for years to come.

In this article, we discuss a few benefits of custom event badges for your small business.

Pinterest

No. 1

Gain Customer Loyalty

According to Bag Tags, Inc., custom event badges are typically utilized at events to identify staff, VIPs, and other relevant personnel. However, by tweaking these badges, you can also use them to gain customer loyalty and encourage clients to support your products or services.

Consider marketing these tools to your clients as loyalty rewards badges, and add a barcode or QR code to track your customers’ spending at your store. Instruct your clients to present their badges at the counter when making a payment. Each purchase will have an equivalent number of points, which they can use to buy more items once they have accumulated a certain number of points.

You can also create different badges to identify your customers. For instance, clients who have regularly purchased your products or availed of services for over three years may be given gold badges and are called VIP clients. Silver badges could be issued to those who have been your loyal customers for one year, and blue badges to relatively new customers. Gold badge holders may be entitled to greater privileges, such as additional discounts, first access to new products, and invites to special events.

Pinterest

No. 2

Identify and Empower Your Staff

Having your staff wear custom badges at company events makes it easier for clients and prospective partners to identify the people who work with you. It is also a great way to enhance credibility and brand recognition, so take the time to create badges that reflect your company’s image. Ensure that your brand name and logo are prominently featured on the event badges, as well as your brand colors and unique mascots or characters if there are any. 

Meanwhile, your staff’s badges can double as privilege cards through networking and collaboration with other businesses. Partner with local cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, clothing and footwear stores in your area, and instruct your employees to present their badge whenever they buy from these businesses. If your partnerships result in certain privileges for your employees, such as discounts and freebies on their birthdays, you will empower your workers and get to do your part to boost your local economy. 

Pinterest

No. 3

Attract New Customers

Give away specially designed custom event badges at large-scale events, conferences, or product launches to entice prospective customers to check out your business. For example, if you operate a food truck or stall, consider handing out promotional badges with a one-time discount code at music festivals.

If you have a cosmetics or skin care startup, give out badges at a beauty expo or a public place, like a mall. You can also exchange the badges for a small freebie once they visit your physical store.

Pinterest

Takeaways

Custom event badges can be the perfect tool to grow your small business. With so many ways to incorporate them into your marketing initiatives, they are a simple yet effective marketing tool that can elevate your efforts and impress your customers. Consider utilizing custom event badges for your next event. They are sure to boost your branding success.

Whether you are hosting a dinner party or attending a wedding, it is always important that you look your best. When we look good, we tend to feel good, which means we are more likely to enjoy and carry ourselves with confidence. Likewise, knowing that we can do it all and fitting the part requires us to put our best self forward and care for every aspect of our well-being.

Isabelle Mathers is stunning in this lace dress for an outdoor cocktail event in the garden. Here is an inexpensive dupe to get the look for less. Of course, the bolder you are the more this look is for you. An outfit can be romantic while still remaining classy depending on the approach.

While the everyday setting can become monotonous when it comes to your approach toward dress wear, events are the ideal venue to express your personal sense of style and communicate your attention to how you present yourself in this type of setting.

With special attention to detail, your attire could speak a myriad of positive things about you and ensures that you are making a good first impression on those around you. With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to look your best at all times so that when that special event comes up, you are already walking in your light.

01

Commit to a haircare routine

Ensure you look amazing at your next big event, and every day in between, by developing an effective hair care routine. Haircare is all about daily care and maintenance, so if your hair is currently in bad condition, you can not expect to turn it around overnight. Depending on your hair type, an effective hair care routine will be dependent on your individual needs. This requires you to learn what works for you and what does not.

With an effective haircare routine, your hair could consistently look voluminous and shiny, as opposed to dry or greasy. A simple upgrade to your haircare routine can have immediate positive results. For example, try using cold water when washing your hair. This is because “cold water for hair ensures your scalp remains cleaner for longer as it closes the pores, making it less vulnerable to grease, oil, and dirt.” 

Use specialist products for your hair-washing days, especially if you have dyed it. For example, if you have hopped onto the gray or silver trend, you should do research to find out what the best shampoo for gray hair is in order to maintain its color and shine. 

Avoiding heat and over-washing is also a very simple, yet effective way to allow your hair to regain its strength. By allowing your hair to rest, the texture of your hair will begin to repair, so avoid impulsively chopping your locks off in fear of losing hope that you can get your hair ready come event season.

02

Get serious about skincare

While we may tend to save the facemasks for a girls’ night in, developing an effective skincare routine is another great way to ensure you look great at your next event. This will help you maintain a natural, healthy glow. As the event draws near, pay more attention to your skincare and schedule face mask sessions leading up to the event. Do your first face mask a few days before the event and another the morning of. This will allow you to see the best results over a few days as opposed to the night before or the day of the event. 

You do not need to become a skincare pro or purchase hundreds of expensive products to develop an effective skincare routine. In fact, it is often better to keep your routine simple, especially if you have sensitive skin. Each morning and evening, it is traditionally recommended to use a combination of the following: 

• Cleanser

• Toner

• Face wash

• Moisturiser 

• SPF

While this routine can be further simplified, it should be carried out daily. Your facial skin is not the only skin to pay attention to. Our intimate areas need love, too. Using natural, clean, and effective products will make you feel your best and protect those areas from common skin ailments. Moisturizing these areas are very important to overall skin health, and should be done daily.

Isabelle Mathers’ romantic sense of style appears effortless, soft, and has a sweet sophistication all at the same time. Expressing your individual style is what sets you apart, so enjoy the opportunity to shine.

03

Find outfits you feel comfortable in

Of course, your outfit is one of the most important factors to consider when trying to look your best for an event. However, while you should ensure your outfit matches the event's dress code, your main priority here should be finding something you feel comfortable in. If you are wearing clothes that you do not feel your best in, your reservations will show in the way in which you carry yourself, so this is the best approach to set when searching for your outfit.

You will want to avoid anything that you may spend your time trying to cover up or readjust throughout the event as opposed to simply letting the outfit speak for itself. How many of us have had that dreadful dress that was just so itchy? The one we had to toss out after one use. *raises hand*

Do not be afraid to forgo trends or popular items for clothes that feel more within your personal style and that can be used comfortably and regularly even post-event. This will not only ensure you feel comfortable and confident, but it also means you will look and feel great in your pictures.

04

Discover your personal style

Finding a unique way to express your style is an art and should be met with excitement as you get in tune with yourself and learn things about your tastes and preferences. Doing so will give you a chance to express yourself more freely, which will once again enable you to feel more and more confident.

We know that what we wear does not define us, but it is the way in which we interact with each other that sets the tone and outlet for creativity and expression. In this way, how we respond to each other is largely based on appearances, especially in social settings.

Begin experimenting with different styles and see how you feel when you wear certain pieces. For example, you could follow influencers with a similar style on Instagram, paying close attention to the brands they work with or where they shop.

Over time, you may even just discover your talents and you could even begin to set up your own fashion account, which could provide you with an opportunity to earn money as you grow your Instagram followers.

05

get Thrifty

Many people choose to buy a brand-new outfit before a big event, especially if there will be many people in attendance or a level of prestige to the venue or event. While this is completely understandable, there are alternatives to unnecessarily overspending on an outfit that you will wear for one night out of the year.

For example, you can find everything you want, from dresses to shoes, at your local second-hand store. There are always amazing finds there, and if you really have a good eye, you will not be disappointed with the art of thrifting. You can also now easily shop for previously loved clothes online using apps like Poshmark and What Not. Saving on designer brands has exploded in recent years, and there are no signs of it slowing.

With the increasing pressure toward sustainable fashion, there are so many inexpensive ways to access fashion at a fraction of the cost. Avoiding fast fashion and adopting sustainable shopping practices will also enable you to build your event wardrobe quickly. By becoming more sustainable in your daily life, avoiding fast fashion to get access to new clothes, and opting for quality-made, previously loved clothing, fashion subscription services, and rentals you can develop your personal style without necessarily having to make a costly commitment.

06

Learn how to enhance your features

Becoming a professional makeup artist to “wow” your friends and family at an event is an unreasonable expectation—you only simply need to understand what makeup techniques and products flatter your face or features. Naturally, in this way, you ensure you always look your best because you are not putting together a look that you just found on Youtube the night before. After all, that could turn disastrous if the technique is not achieved properly. Rather, stick to what works for you every day and what makes you feel confident no matter the cause or setting.

If you prefer a more natural-looking day-to-day look, enhancing your facial features for an event would not require much from you since you have diligently relied on daily skincare routines. You could simply wear a nice cream blush and lip cream and call it a night. For more definition, you choosing eyeshadow shades that complement your natural eye color will allow them to pop. For example, “green eyeshadows will pop on brown eyes with reddish undertones because red and greens are opposites.” 

If you are not entirely sure where to get started when it comes to skincare or makeup, consider finding a friend who is experienced or signing up for a few classes to learn the fundamentals. Online tutorials are always plentiful and can cut the learning curve down so that you can quickly develop your own techniques.

07

Love the skin you are in

Confidence comes from within, and when it radiates from the inside out, it is undeniable and magnetic regardless of what you look like or what you are wearing. As such, one of the easiest ways to ensure you look your best for an exciting event is to work on building your confidence and self-acceptance.

In essence, learn to stop comparing yourself to others. After all, you do not want to spend the whole night wondering whether another guest looks better than you or if their outfit is nicer than yours—this will do nothing to change anything. Instead, celebrate the fact that you both look amazing. Learning to fight back against comparison will increase your confidence in your body and your appearance, showing you just how beautiful you are. 

You should also work on reframing the way you think about yourself or your body. Each time you catch yourself thinking negatively about your appearance, take a step back and repeat three or four positive things you like about yourself out loud. While this may seem a little strange, the more you get used to complimenting yourself, the easier it will become to realize the truth in your words.

Takeaways

In closing, there are many steps you can follow in order to ensure you look your best—not just at formal events or cocktail parties, but every single day. By setting aside some time in your usual routine to deviate to self-care, developing a beauty regimen that allows your natural beauty to shine, nourishing yourself with nutritious foods, and staying active and fit, you will feel and look your best no matter the occasion.

Today, I’ll be sharing the fastest, most cost-effective and efficient way to send out flyers and invitations via text, email, or social media. I just discovered this new, free feature, and I’m sharing it in case you’re also needing to send invitations and get responses on the fly! I was able to put together a virtual giveaway party in less than five minutes! I’m just going to jump into how I did it.

What you will need to do first is head on over to Paperless Post. Their Flyer feature allows you to create flyers that you can send out digitally - for free! Not only that, but their templates are beautiful, easy to customize, and you’ll be able to manage all of your RSVPs on your account. Simply sign up for an account and all of the free features will be available to you. 

After I customized my flyer on the site, I simply copied and pasted the share url into my email template through Mailchimp and sent it off to all of my email subscribers. You may have gotten that email if you are on my email list! 

I made a short video showing you exactly how to create one of your own, and you'll also get to see how my flyer turned out.

Now, wasn't that the easiest thing EVER! I am so excited about this. It saved me so much time, and come to think of it, this could be used for any type of event - both business or personal. Below is how my flyer looked on screen, minus the gif feature. You can also view it live, here.

Speaking of which, I have a winner to announce! The winner of my first-ever giveaway party is Taylor!! I will be contacting you via email. Congratulations on winning a branding package, which includes a custom logo and brand style board. Super excited for you, and I can't wait to chat with you. Everyone else who RSVP'd will be receiving an email from me with a special package rate, so look out for that! 

what do you think about Paperless Post's new feature?

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A special thank you to Paperless Post for partnering with me on this post. Be sure to check them out for even more paperless options!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my privacy policy for a complete disclosure.

There's a Boss Babe in Oklahoma City that I've had the pleasure of getting to know from the very early stages of her starting her business. She's my favorite Boss Babe in all of Oklahoma, not only because I know her personally, but because I can't help but love her! Her name is Mai, and she's one of the sweetest people you will ever have the chance to meet. Her bubbly personality and bright smile fit perfectly with the type of business that she chose to pursue - an open air photo booth company. Read on to learn more about her story!

Upon sharing our stories with each other, I quickly discovered that we both had a very similar job experience that impacted us in very big ways, which was a major influence for us wanting to pursue a more rewarding and fulfilling career path. It was a relief to know that I had someone to relate to and that I wasn't the only one that was trying to figure things out after what seemed like a life-changing experience. Interestingly, our negative job experiences both drove us to be self-employed, and here we were coming together and really supporting each other in that process.

It's amazing how having someone to relate to can easily put things into perspective because many times, we feel alone. Showing you that you aren't alone is one of the main reasons why I started doing these features. I want you to know that you have so many people and stories to fall back on and to be encouraged by. 

I'm so proud of her and what's she accomplished so far, and I can't wait for you to get to know her. Without further ado, let's do just that!

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Q & A

MAI NGUYEN

PIKCHER BOOTH

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

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WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

After quitting my job that made me very unhappy, I started to seek new opportunities. My turning point was realizing I didn't want to continue my profession. My experience in the corporate world made me realize it wasn't for me. I decided to follow my passion and create a new path that lead me to pursuing my own business.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU MADE THAT DECISION?

I was definitely scared. Scared about the change, scared about the future, and scared about not making it. I still fear about it all, but I’m also very proud of myself for taking that first step, the hardest step.

WHAT INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED YOU TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH YOUR DECISION?  

100% my fiancé Jordan Trabue, he believes in me more than I believe in myself. It’s his love and support that keeps me going <3.

WHAT WERE THE FIRST STEPS YOU TOOK TO GET THE BALL ROLLING?

After deciding that I wanted to start my own business, I had to ask myself THE QUESTIONS: What do I enjoy doing? How can I incorporate that into a business? Is there a demand for this kind of business? Once I said yes confidently, I began to educate myself about the industry.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND WHY YOU CHOSE TO PURSUE THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS.

pikCHER booth is an open air photo booth that can service to just about any kind of event you can think of. It is group friendly and made to be enjoyed by all ages. My clients and their guest have the time of their lives creating moments in the photo booth. It's a great feeling to be able to capture these moments and an even better feeling when the photos are proudly shared with their family and friends.

WHAT TYPES OF CHALLENGES HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED SO FAR AND HOW ARE YOU OVERCOMING THEM?

Honestly, it’s been a challenge from the very first day I decided to start my own business. My list can fill a couple of pages if I listed everything in detail. At this moment though, my biggest challenge is getting more bookings for this year. The bookings will exhibit how well I’ve done and set the tone on where my business stand for the upcoming year. I intend to reach out to local business in hopes of doing some promotional work and will also continue to push in my social media marketing efforts.

WHAT PRINCIPLES AND VALUES HAVE YOU BASED YOUR BUSINESS UPON AND HOW DO YOU HOPE TO CARRY THAT THROUGH TO YOUR CUSTOMERS?

One principle I can apply from my past business experience is how you serve your clients. Your clients will make or break your business. Serve your clients with respect, love, and passion, and success will follow.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT HAVING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND BEING YOUR OWN BOSS? 

I love the fact that I can utilize my creativity and talent on a daily basis. My personality is also able to shine through my business, from verbiage to presentation, I am presenting my authentic self. To be my own boss means I don’t have to worry about anyone telling me what to do and I get to set my own schedule. It is freakin' AWESOME but….that also means it’s up to me  to get things done.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AND WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS IN 5 YEARS?

To be featured in an Oklahoma magazine as a well respected and reputable business would be the ultimate accomplishment. In 5 years, I will expand and provide opportunities to those who desire to work in a non corporate environment. Entrust a team to help run the business so that I am able to focus more time on traveling the world with my love ones.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS CONSIDERING STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS? 

Believe in yourself that you can do it, and don’t use excuses to keep you from moving forward.

I AM ...

authentic.

I BELIEVE ...

you can direct your destiny.

I LOVE …

life.

MY GREATEST FEAR IS …

not having enough time to do all the things I want to do with the people I love most.

MY GREATEST LESSON IN LIFE SO FAR IS …

truly loving myself and knowing my self worth.

I AM PROUD OF ...

the woman I’ve become and all that I’ve accomplished so far.

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IS ...

graduating college. Poverty and war limited my parents from getting any kind of education, they lived vicariously through me, so when I became the 1st generation to graduate, it was a huge success for my parents and my family.

A QUOTE I LIVE BY IS ...

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will” - Vincent T Lombardi

MY IDEA OF A PERFECT DAY IS ...

Waking up cuddled up next to my soon to be husband, followed by HIM cooking me a healthy delectable breakfast ;) 

MY DREAM IS ...

to be financially stable enough to take care or my parents so that they can retire and enjoy life.

I WILL ... 

keep pushing forward no matter what.

One thing that was most inspiring to me about Mai's story was that she left a job that made her unhappy and took a huge leap of faith to pursue a more rewarding path. She didn't have a back-up-plan, but she did have the drive and determination to see it through. Not everyone may want to do what she did or have the means to go to that extreme, but Mai's story proves that it is possible. If you are unhappy with where you're at in your professional career, you can change that. It's never too late! You will always have time to rewrite your story and to create a life that you are truly happy with.

If you're looking for an open air photo booth to service your event in Oklahoma City or the surrounding metro areas, Mai is your girl! pikCHER Booth was recently featured in Brides of Oklahoma in their Fab Finds for the Oklahoma Bride and is listed as a preferred vendor. Yes, she is your go-to woman and is the sweetest person to work with! She offers superior lighting with high resolution digital downloads, custom props and backdrops, and an online gallery. To see all of her available packages and samples of her work, click here. With wedding season just around the corner, this is the perfect time to book an event with her and start working out the details. Make sure to give her a follow at her social links listed above in case you ever need to book her for your future event!

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I hope Mai's story adds a little fire to your day and that it inspires you to never settle for less than what you deserve! You deserve only the best, and if you aren't satisfied with your current position in life, you can change that! Take it from Mai to crush fear and face those goals of yours with the will to see them through no matter what. Have an amazing rest of your week, and as always, stay beautiful! 

What inspired you the most about Mai's story? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!