Impress the Pros

Three event planning experts talk about winning ideas from the best occasions they’ve ever attended, and how you can incorporate these into your own event

by Colleen Seto

Our schedules often become overloaded with so many conferences, meetings and receptions that they can blend into one another. But occasionally an event makes you say, “Wow!” You know the kind – where a boring banquet room transforms into another place and time, talented chefs whip up edible art before your very eyes or an amazing speaker inspires the audience. So what makes a knockout event? And how can planners ensure that their events are unforgettable at a time when budgets are tight? Alberta Venture asked three top planners for the straight goods.

AV: What events make you go “Wow”?

JF: At the David Foster Gala, we created some really unique experiences. We red-carpeted and tented Stephen Avenue from the Hyatt to the Jack Singer for the concert, and we gave people desserts along the way. That was fun because it was out of the box. The importance is figuring out what the brand of the event is and hitting people on the head with it from invitation time right through to thank-you time.

BT: The most well-designed event we have attended was the Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress 2008 in Las Vegas. One thing that stood out was the way their brand was reinforced in every way possible, especially through signage – including branded floor mats. We received a voicemail every morning from the MPI president highlighting the day. We could not help but talk about the event when we returned home.

AV: So extending a brand is critical to a successful event. How do you make this happen?

JF: All event marketing initiatives should be aligned with the corporate brand. Our events are developed with an understanding of the clients’ businesses, corporate culture, market position and customer demographics. Everything we do is really about capturing an emotion – have people feel a connection to a brand and to the people who represent the brand, with everything right down to the food – for example, specialty drinks in the corporate colour. We did an event at a car dealership and the beverage was called “Brake Fluid.” At the birthday event, which was a 1950s theme, we had an old-style menu: mac and cheese, meat loaf and pigs in a blanket.

KK: I go to many events where there is no sense of the organization’s brand. I think “brand” is too simple a word when referencing events. True event marketing involves communicating not only the brand, but also a corporate culture. It is imperative that planners spend the time doing the research about the organization. Many clients hate taking the time to do this, but it is an essential step.

AV: How can people plan a great event without spending tons of bucks?

KK: Innovation versus creativity is a great starting point. Most people automatically see dollar signs when they hear the word creative. Innovation refers to a new method. That doesn’t have to translate into more money and more time. Our European counterparts create events with simple through lines and are very innovative. An example is for the launch of a European appliance company’s new oven; they created the entire design of the event around a box. The event logo reflected this, and the tagline was “Your Life in a Box.” It was simple, but required attendees to think and experience the message on a cerebral instead of just a sensory level.

BT: With a downturn in the economy, there will likely be less money available to organize events. But that doesn’t mean we can’t plan a great event. We recently attended an event where the host facility’s staff lined the hallway as delegates entered. They clapped and cheered and made us feel exceptional as we walked the red carpet to the plenary hall entrance. This created a memorable experience for us that cost the organizers nothing.

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