JF: Really look at the demographic; who are you targeting? What do they like? How do they think? If you want to wow someone, you need to know that. If you have a cross-section of ages, how do you reach all of them? Interactive activities are a good way for different demographics to engage, such as a vintage photo booth with costumes and props. You also need to know the objective. Creating experiential marketing plans has almost become more important given the economic times. You have to make sure your products are visible and your clients are impressed.
AV: How can an event add value to a company once everyone has gone home?
BT: The type of value added to your company is really dependent upon the purpose of your event. Is your event being held for team-building, education or progress-reporting purposes? Clearly defined goals and objectives, a detailed plan to achieve them and strong leadership are critical to ROI. You cannot find success in what you cannot measure.
JF: Often, it’s hard to quantify emotions, so we drill down to find out what the client’s objectives are so we can align our events with them – whether they walked away feeling good, raised awareness or raised money. Figure out on the front end how to measure, and set metrics in advance. And it’s not just a four-hour event; it’s creating buzz before and after. Leading up, you can send email, a hard copy invite, even firecrackers at their desk to build buy-in. After, send a thank you with a photo from the event or company material. It’s really about building relationships – existing and potential clients and, of course, staff. Experiential marketing makes your brand an experience, not just a promise. With proper execution, the return on marketing investment can be significant.
AV: What should event managers ultimately keep in mind when planning an event?
JF: What is the objective? There is no wrong objective; it just needs to be clear. Don’t think of your event in an isolated bubble. Know what else is going on at the same time, and what else your group attends. Calgary has really changed in the last seven years. We’ve seen a dramatic change where our clients have travelled the world, going to Olympics opening ceremonies, the Oscars, launch of Cirque du Soleil shows. They have really high standards. So it’s harder to impress now, but the whole industry has stepped up.
BT: We always keep the goals and objectives for our events foremost in mind. It is too easy, especially when a large planning committee is involved, to get sidetracked by shiny things, things that don’t add any real value. We all want our events to have that wow factor and to be remembered for their creativity and uniqueness but it should never be at the expense of reaching our objectives. And, if you want to plan a great event, you need to attend other events to see what others are doing to elevate their events.
KK: Hire someone, either a third party or internally, who has been trained to do the job. Events of any sort are part art and part science and require someone with a multitude of skill sets and at least general knowledge in areas ranging from food and beverage to risk management and contract negotiation. This doesn’t guarantee competence, but during these tough times it lays an important foundation for success. Ensure that, in the design of the program, the budget allocation and overall experience is well distributed.
AV: How do you measure success?
BT: The most obvious method is to obtain direct feedback through evaluation forms. We also take attendance counts to measure interest, but also to see if overall numbers throughout the event declined. There are also Web 2.0 tools available to help delegates connect post-event. This is very useful to obtain people’s impressions once they return home. We are firm believers in observing and talking with delegates throughout the event. Ask after lunch how the food was. Take a look around the room during the sessions. Are delegates attentive and listening? Asking questions? Or are they falling asleep?
KK: The measure of success is what the guests are saying as they leave the event. Are they happy and talking about their experience? Did we come within budget and, most importantly, did it meet the goals?
AV: Overall, what makes an event a “wow” event?
BT: Strong emotional engagement supported by a solid program and well executed logistics.
JF: An event that touches all sensations and evokes emotions in the guests. I love hearing people say, “How did they do that?”
KK: I want to be the first one to say that “wow” should be a four-letter word in the event industry. Most people automatically think “money, over the top, big show” when they think wow. In these uncertain economic times, that is not how an event should be portrayed. My company’s current motto is “Impress Without Excess.” What translates into a successful, memorable event nowadays is an event grounded in environmental, social and economic responsibility.
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