In 2019, Caroline O’Neill and Niamh Taylor established the Northern Ireland Social Media Awards. The recent third ceremony, held a few weeks ago, enjoyed remarkable success, sparking significant curiosity about the intricacies of organising such an event.

The following seven guests, from seven different businesses, who contributed to the successful awards ceremony this year, share their top tips for event planning.

Jamie McMinnis - Mad Colour

Jamie is Managing Director at Mad Colour, a company that brings your ideas to life when it comes to design, print, manufacture & installation. 

NISMA worked with Mad Colour on their photo backdrops, dressing the entrance area of the room with signage and props, table menus, branding on the stage and their specially commissioned finalist certificates with a difference.

Website: https://www.madcolour.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coloursofmad/ 

Oisin O’Brien - Visual Specdrum Studio

Oisin and his team worked with NISMA and in collaboration with BNL productions on the lighting element for the awards. If you were there you would know how amazing the visuals were!

Visual Spectrum Studio is in a league of their own. If you visit their website you will see the vast range of work that they do. There are videos on there that will blow your mind. They mostly do large sale Tourist Projection Mapping. 

Website: https://www.visualspectrum.studio/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualspectrumstudio/ 

Nick Hutchinson - BNL Productions

Nick is Managing Director of BNL Productions which specialises in film, live streaming and events. 

NISMA have worked with BNL productions since 2019 and Caroline has also worked with them on this very podcast and on her Digg Mama events. 

Neither NIMSA nor Caroline has ever had a request or an idea that hasn’t been explored and executed in some format. They are simply incredible at what they do.

Website: https://www.bnlproductions.co.uk/ 

Nick mentioned the following links - 

https://www.read.ai/  

https://www.magicplan.app/ 

https://amzn.eu/d/3fa4cpT   

Chris Rooney - Champagne Memories 

Chris is the Managing Director of Champagne Memories. He and his team worked with NISMA on the styling element of their event and they blew them away with their ideas first and foremost and then, the finished look was more than they could ever have hoped for. 

Website: https://champagnememories.co.uk/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/champagne_memories_events/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D 

Bradley Henderson - Bradley Shoots

Bradley is the Director of Bradley Shoots and as photography for NISMA is vital it was important that they hired an excellent photographer who would produce the content they needed. 

When you run an event you need great images to be able to market your event after and also be able to use those images for promotion for your next event. 

Website: https://www.bradleyshoots.com/about 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradleyshoots_/ 

Martin Booth - Corner Bakery

Martin is Managing Director at Corner Bakery which is based in Mid Ulster and supplies products to over one hundred stores throughout NI. 

NISMA couldn’t run an event without partners and they certainly couldn't do it without a title partner. For the past two years, they have been very lucky and privileged to have Corner Bakery as their title partner.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cornerbakeryni/?hl=en 

@cornerbakeryni on all social media platforms

Steve Simpson - YEOODJ

YEOODJ are fast becoming Ireland's most sought after DJ crew with Live Sax, Percussion and the love of good music.

Steve has been part of NISMA for the past two years and they literally love every single thing about how he works the event. He gets them and their vibe, which is so important. 

Website: https://yeoodj.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yeoo.dj/?hl=en 

Brought to you in Partnership with https://nisocialmediaawards.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nisocialmedia/