Majic Touch Events & Communications Services Quarterly Newsletter (Issue 8)

IN TOUCH, IN TUNE

About Us:

Majic Touch Events & Communications Services is a young, but strong company, based in Arima, Trinidad & Tobago The sole Director is Wendy Campbell-Paul, who is pictured to the right of this page

As its name implies, the company provides events and communications services. That's not all! The company also provides education services, namely lecturing and corporate training Therefore, we are your one-stop shop for all your events, communication and education needs

To get a better understanding of us, we invite you to visit our website at www majictoucheventsandcommunication com for more information

What's

Since the company's last publication in December, 2022, things have been somewhat leisurely primarily for two reasons

Firstly, the month of January has always been moderate for most businesses, and secondly, the Carnival season restarted after a two-year hiatus because of the Covid19 pandemic

Notwithstanding, the company has been working on projects that are expected to be completed soon

On a more positive note, during the last three months,

I changed the design of our quarterly newsletter to make it more appealing Feel free to share your thoughts with me on the new look

Again, as the Director of this company, I wish to thank the stakeholders who have continued to support my business in different ways I am eternally grateful and look forward to greater support in the future

As this issue's greeting comes to a close, I take this opportunity to wish you a happy quarter, See you in June!

Wendy Campbell-Paul

5 Tips for Large-Scale Corporate EventPlanning:

Events come in many different formats, and one such type is large-scale corporate events Planning and coordinating these events can be somewhat tasking; however, if you follow these five tips, you should be able to get it right

Manage Time!

Good timing can increase productivity in a task or job This is because the time setting provides a list of tasks that must be done along with the processing time based on the priority of the tasks that must be done

everyone must have the same Objectives!

All stakeholders involved in this type of event must have the same goal for the event to be successful. Why? These events tend to have many dimensions, which can sometimes lead to confusion However, if everyone is on the same page, the event should go smoothly

Communicate Often!

Multi-dimensional events like these require teams of people to work on varying elements Therefore, important pieces of information can get lost if clear parameters are not set for all involved Also, be sure to share information with only the people who need to have it

Have a Suitable Location!

Most times, these events require different spaces for exhibitionists, panel discussions, feature speakers, attendees, et al It is for this reason that a suitable venue is required to meet the needs of all stakeholders

Know your team members' strengths and weaknesses!

Not all of your team members will have the same strengths; therefore, you need to assess them and put them in suitable areas, but feel free to take them out of their comfort zones when necessary

"No event is too difficult to plan; all you need to do is think outside of the box"

Wendy Campbell-Paul Certified Event Manager

IMPORTANCE OF EVENT SPONSORSHIP

We are still on the subject of large scale corporate events; however, this article focuses on event sponsorship

Most event organizers tend to focus on attendees and engagement to help their events; however, in recent times, they have been looking at the importance of event sponsorship for their events

In simple language, event sponsorship is when companies invest in an event through funding in exchange for something of value to those companies

These companies can choose to sponsor the entire event or part thereof; while they seek, as part of the something of value, increased brand awareness, attendee data, speaking opportunities or even discounted tickets In other words, companies sponsor events to move their businesses forward

How can event sponsors help event organizers? Event organizers may find event sponsors quite helpful in some ways For example, event sponsors can help organizers break even with their budgets How?

Firstly, planning and executing large-scale events can be extremely expensive when you take the venue, catering, decorating, entertainment and other key things into consideration Also, factors like lay-offs, recession, inflation and the Covid-19 pandemic has made people more conscious of how they should part with their hardearned cash Moreover, at times, ticket sales alone will not assist the event organizer to boost budgets

Secondly, attaching sponsors to your events will bring credibility to that event Just think about it for a second! Wouldn't you feel more comfortable knowing that big name brands have sponsored an event you wish to attend? Indeed, you will Additionally, once well-known companies have signed on, the event organizer may see a rise in registration numbers and ticket sales

Thirdly, having sponsors at your event can increase the event's reach beyond the event organizer's imagination For example, customers who are perusing the social media pages of well-known sponsors, may be inclined to support the event those companies are sponsoring

The question then is: How does an event organizer go about choosing sponsors for their events? Here are four simple tips to help you:

The first tip is that potential sponsors will always ask for details about your event; therefore, the event organizer must know the event from the inside out

The second tip is that event organizers must understand why businesses sponsor events As indicated before, businesses sponsor events to increase their reach and to gain new customers.

The third tip is that event organizers should ensure the intended sponsors are the best fit for their event This is where due diligence comes in for the event organizers

The fourth tip is that event organizers can research companies who have sponsored events similar to the events they are organizing There is a real possibility that those sponsors may be interested in yours, too

Wendy Campbell-PaulCertified Event Manager

DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Like many people around the world, I was amazed by the social media soap opera between public figures Watson Duke and Kezel Jackson; the drama unfolded a few days before Trinidad & Tobago's 2023 Carnival celebrations started.

Not only was I intrigued by the theatrics, but I was horrified at the raw tit-for-tat between the two aspiring political officials that played out mainly on social media platforms, Facebook/Meta and Instagram

Now, let me make it abundantly clear I have no problems with social media, because I use both Facebook/Meta and Instagram to promote my business; however, I could not escape the unexpected drama because it was literally in my face.

I definitely know that social media have many positives; for example: social media helps us to connect with family and friends across the globe; it helps us to find new friends and communities that share similar interests with us; it is helpful for sharing and promoting awareness on important matters; it is good for helping people to promote their creativity and to even learn new things

However, just about everything in the world has its own pros and cons; social media are no exception , but social media's downsides have the potential to cause psychological issues for many people who utilize it excessively. These downsides include but are not limited to:

Firstly, social media can make you feel unhappy with yourself because you begin to compare yourself with images and videos which, for the most part, may be doctored

Secondly, you get the feeling that you are missing out if you are not on social media regularly This is

known as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Thirdly, you tend to feel isolated, depressed and anxious if you are not on social media often There is a strong view by many that they need to check for social media updates ever so often, but many studies have exemplified that there is a critical need for face-to-face interaction.

Moreover, cyberbullying is a major downside of social media I am sure we can all agree that there was some cyberbullying during the soap opera between Watson Duke and Kezel Blackman Truths, lies, rumors and abuses went viral in quick time, and I am certain both parties were emotionally affected by some of the comments

The final con I will speak about social media is self-centeredness

Several people are obsessed with sharing selfie photos and videos of themselves, as well as their thoughts; however, these actions can create an egocentric nature as well as a detachment from the real world

This article started with the unfortunate story about Watson Duke and Kezel Jackson, which at the time of writing, had died downsomewhat Nevertheless, both were still posting regular updates on several issues

Could the heavy social media use by these two influential people be a sign of them masking underlying problems, such as stress, depression and boredom? Or was it just a case of pure revenge?

Whatever it is, I am certain that this public feud between Watson Duke and Kezel Jackson has affected their immediate families inclusive of children We (the public) did not need to know all the sordid and unsavoury details, but I do hope they are able to rise above this fiasco, not just for themselves, but for their

families as well. I end this article with some simple and wise words to those who are interested: "Limit the amount of time you spend on social media"

CORPORATE TRAINING

BUSINESS WRITING WORKSHOP WITH CBTT

Our Director, Wendy Campbell-Paul, was selected by the UWIRoytec to facilitate a course in Business Writing to varying staff members of the Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago, on March 21 and 23

The highly-interactive sessions were conducted on the tenth Floor of the CBTT's headquarters in Port-of-Spain Participants came from many different departments of the financial institution

Commenting on the workshop, our Director said: "I am always happy to impart knowledge to different people in different spheres This training was particularly satisfying because of the positive feedback I received from the participants."

Below are some of the courses taught during the two days of training.

Proposal Writing:

This topic is very important for employees and companies who wish to write persuasive documents fo improvements in their workplace environments REPORT WRITING:

If you need to express yourself about an incident that occurred, the status of a project, or even to tell your company about a trip they sent you on, then this topic will certainly assist you.

Letter Writing:

This topic is crucial if you need assistance to develop y letter's contents and to format your letter in accordanc with your company's preferences

CARNIVAL 2023: Success or Failure?

....Congrats to the winners!

After a two-year absence, Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival 2023 returned; however, there are mixed reactions to this year's event dubbed "The Mother of All Carnivals" Notwithstanding, we take this opportunity to congratulate the winners of this year's Carnival celebrations

There are several key metrics that can be used to measure the success of an event These include, but are not limited to: the number of tickets sold vs attendance, returning attendees, social media engagement, event revenue by ticket type, sponsorship and surveys

If we were to utilize some of these metrics and judge the qualitative responses from some key stakeholders, it may be safe to say that this year's Carnival was not a success and cannot be equated with the "Mother of All Carnivals"

In some instances, still photographs and videos suggest that some masqueraders enjoyed the Carnival celebrations; however, there were key stakeholders who indicated that it was worse than in previous years Such descriptions came from vendors, event organizers, masqueraders, patrons, just to name a few

Moreover, one letter writer to the editor asked whether it was a "miscarriage" instead of the "Mother of All Carnivals".

The general cry was that the spectatorship at major judging points was very low, mas bands were limited, and mas bands arrived at judging points very late Also, there was the usual cry of mas bands jumping the line This last point led to one seasoned band leader, Mike "Big Mike" Antoine declaring that his large band, Legacy, will not be taking part in future Carnival competitions

As Legacy crossed the Savannah stage, Antoine's voice belted via a microphone: “You will not see me for Carnival on this stage ever, ever, ever, in life again", He noted that another band had been allowed to skip the queue waiting to cross the Savannah stage in front of his band Chairman of Trinidad & Tobago's National Carnival Commission, Winston "Gypsy" Peters has since apologized saying that the act was not a deliberate one.

Moreover, some vendors and onlookers lamented how the dwindling spectatorship had caused low sales, amongst other things

Others wondered if Carnival is expiring An article written by Shaliza Hassanali and published in the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian newspaper on February 22, quoted masquerader, Mike Benoit, as saying: "In all the years I have been playing mas, I have never seen the crowd so sparse it's like a ghost town You have to ask if Carnival is dying "

These unfavourable reactions about Trinidad and Tobago's 2023 Carnival can go on and on; however, the jury is still out on whether this year's Carnival was indeed a success

Notwithstanding, there were successes for some One such person is 20-year-old Duane Ta’zyah O’Connor, who won the prestigious national Calypso Monarch competition with his popular song, Sing Hallelujah

Successes are also in order for Road March champions, Bunji Garlin and his wife, Fay-Ann Lyons; Brian London for securing a hattrick of victories at the national Extempo Monarch finals and BP Renegades for winning the Panorama finals in the large band category. We do not have enough editorial space to name all the Carnival winners; however, we salute all of you

Wendy Campbell-PaulCertified Event Manager

Happy Shouter Baptist Liberation Day, T&T

Trinidad and Tobago will celebrate the 27th annual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day, also called the Spiritual Baptist Day, on March 30 This holiday was first celebrated in 1996 following the 1951 repeal of the prohibition of practising the religion

Prior to the repeal, for 34 years (1917-1951), under the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance, the British Colonial Government prohibited this religion from practising because the noise created during their service was considered as disturbing the peace

Multiple sources indicate that the ordinance was introduced by then-attorney general Sir Henry Gollam who described the way members of the faith worshipped as an "unmitigated nuisance " Another possible reason behind the ban is that the leaders of the other established religions saw the popularity of Spirtual Baptists as a threat.

We are happy that the Shouter Baptists are now free to practise their religion. Happy holiday to the Baptist community

Happy Easter, Eid & n arrival Day!

Shouter Baptist holiday on March 30, Tobago will experience several more our next publication in June Actually, nal holidays, and while Carnival Monday not national holidays, most businesses do e days

pril, the country celebrates the Easter which starts with Good Friday on April aster Day on April 9 and Easter Monday all know Easter, the principal festival of Church, is celebrated to mark the esus Christ on the third day after his

have the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday on April 22; festival that marks the end of Ramadan, f fasting when Muslims fast from dawn to

there is another national holiday, Indian ch commemorates the arrival of the first d labourers from India to Trinidad, in May 1845, on the ship Fatel Razack To tho respective communities who celebrate these holidays, we wish all of you the very best on these days

Importance of Mothers Happy International Women's Day!

Before Mother's Day this year, we have another special day that focuses on women That day is International Women's Day, which is on March 8 This year's theme is £Embrace Equality

According to internationalwomensday com, International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality

International Women's Day has been around for more than a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people

Happy International Women's Day to all women and remember to embrace equality to ensure that the fairer sex has access to fair treatment, opportunities and advancement

Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 14, this year

This precious day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday in May; therefore, the date changes each year

Although Mother’s Day is a national holiday widely observed in the U S , it is not a public holiday (when businesses are closed) in Trinidad & Tobago

Nevertheless, Trinbagonians usually celebrate their mothers in many ways For example, these Mothers can be celebrated via lunches or dinners, some of which are prepared by their children or they are taken to restaurants.

This day to honour Mothers has been around for many, many years; so why do we continue to make such a big fuss about Mother's Day? The answer? Mothers are the protector and nourisher of children and, by extension, of all humanity

Anyone can say with absolutely certainty that Mothers are the knots that keep everything together if there is any indication that those things are going to fall apart Whether their children are grown or not, Mothers will always have the tendency to guide, motivate and care for their children in most situations.

Happy Mother's Day to all biological mothers and those who have played motherly roles to children in different ways.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day has always been described as a day with lovers in mind We could not agree more However, from now on, we do not only want you to love your significant other, but to also practise selflove.

What is self-love? Quoting Khoshaba (2012), the popular website, positivepsychology com explains that self-love is “ a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological, and spiritual growth”

Positivepsychology.com continues: Self-love is about valuing yourself as a human being who is worthy of

love and respect.

Moreover, self-love is about loving yourself without needing to make downward social comparisons, taking pride in your performance and your achievements, giving yourself the validation you need and recognizing that it’s okay to feel uncertain and doubt yourself now and then

Our final thoughts on this topic are that once you love yourself, you will be able to give love freely without becoming a narcissist

Happy belated Valentine's Day to all of you.