The Where & how of event planning

Hello Event Planners
If you've been using my blog to help you plan your event engagement, up to this point, you’ll have made lots of decisions.  More consideration and decision making to mull over today as we discuss WHERE & HOW.
 
For event participants and attendees, there is rarely only one event in a market to choose from.  In many, large, multinational markets, the leading event may well be overseas.  Remember that deciding to participate in / attend the event should be based on your objectives rather than the event location.  Having said that, if an overseas event ticks all the boxes but the budget required is restrictive, it may mean an event closer to home is the only option.

If you are hosting an event, WHERE can be influenced by the location of your guests, the location of your business or both.  If you are hosting at your business premises, problem solved however if you will need to source a hired space you’ll need to consider the location of your guests and where they’ll be travelling from as well as the type of space you need to execute your event appropriately. 

Because you already thought through the WHY, WHO, WHEN and WHAT, possible locations and a list of appropriate venue types will probably be manageable.  You may have a venue in mind, or may need to start a search.  There are many venue finding services available if this something you prefer to outsource and likewise, if you are outsourcing the management of the event to a third party, they too will be able to help with venue finding.  
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When sourcing venues consider not just the space but what’s included in the hire.  Many venues provide furniture, AV, catering, staging etc and others don’t.  If you are hosting an event yourself and for the very first time, it could be easier to find a venue which can cater for the majority of your needs internally rather than you having to source a different supplier for each service required.  It’ll save you time if nothing else.   ​​

The HOW question is so important.  
Without exception, how well you prepare for the event you are involved with will influence how successful it is. ​

For attendees, prepare in advance: 
Who do you need to see / which educational sessions you need to attend? Make appointments and book sessions where possible.  Creating a schedule of appointments leaves little to chance on the day and prevents time running away from you. 
 
What do you need answers to / insight into? Make sure you have done your research before hand and prepare a list of questions. 

Take appropriate material – stationery, business cards, a bottle of water! 

Register for the event – many events charge entry if not arriving having pre-registered.  And it takes valuable time to queue and register on arrival so it’s better all round to register in advance.  Also plan your route so you avoid hold ups and delays on the day. 

For participants the preparation task list is much more involved but probably the best investment of time you’ll make: 

Decide how to present yourself / your products / your company.  If exhibiting at an exhibition, nothing is more off putting to an existing or prospective customer than a poorly presented, shoddy looking stand.  Stand dressing doesn’t have to be expensive, be consistent with colours, be clear with messaging and present product well.  Make sure there is space for boxes / stock out of sight and wear a smile from the moment the event opens until the moment it closes. 

Brainstorm every possible question a customer could ask you – pricing / lead times / packaging options / payment terms / shelf life / sale or return / guarantees etc etc... all of these questions need to be addressed and rehearsed before you present yourself and your products to the market. 

Plan and execute pre event marketing – the open days of the event are the culmination of everything that comes before them.  In an exhibition situation, your business could be one of hundreds of exhibitors.  It’s your responsibility to SHOUT about the fact that you’re there.  Draw attention to your new products.  Invite relevant people from your network.  Use social media platforms to reach out to existing and new customers.  Advertise in industry magazines / online platforms.  Ensure your website is up to date – don't forget those attending will be busy doing their research at this time too! 
 
Event organisers have marketing and PR teams working on pre-show promotion to generate the visiting audience.  They’re messaging includes exhibitor news, new products, seminar speakers, trends and more.  Make sure you share as much as possible with the organisers marketing and PR teams.  Most shows have a press office displaying exhibitor press packs for visiting journalists and many magazines will feature event previews too which is a great opportunity to generate some pre show coverage.   
 
Take full advantage of all printed and digital promotional platforms provided as part of the cost to participate – event catalogue / listing on the event website / social media mentions / signage and planners.   

Set up an appointment schedule and prepare for the pre-arranged meetings – you’ll be busy at the event, even just engaging with those passing by so don’t leave anything to the last minute – prep and no thinking on the hoof is needed. 

Allocate sufficient resource – Whether you’re a one man band or a big company, working an event is hard work and a long day. Arrange some cover for breaks and for coping with multiple stand visitors at any one time / while meeting with clients and prospects.  There are some really good agencies who specialise in providing event staff.  It might add an extra couple of hundred pounds to the cost of participation but could be worth every penny because when the big potential customer comes by, someone will be able to speak with them. 

Think through how you’ll capture data from and follow up with the people you meet – organisers generally offer a device you can hire but if you prefer to develop your own system, make sure it works and makes sense so you can record details and follow up swiftly and appropriately. ​​

The critical message here is never to arrange to participate at an event and simply turn up and expect it to go well.  I promise you’ll be disappointed and it’ll be a total waste of time and money.  If you’re going to do it, do it properly. 

HOW for hosting...

My top 3 tips are, be organised, remember your objectives and be creative.
The 'doing' part of hosting your own event is great fun and super rewarding.  You'll be juggling lots of balls and keeping them all in the air is going to be a challenge.

Categorising all of the necessary tasks into pre-event, during the event and post-event will help you focus on the priorities.  When you have decided on a venue and you know what's included, you'll also have a list of suppliers / services to source.  Create a master plan and figure out when everything needs to be actioned so that it all comes together on the day - lead times differ and as you make calls and secure suppliers, you'll end up with a schedule of tasks and deadlines.  You'll also need to create a schedule for any associated marketing which can be included in the master plan or in a plan of it's own.  And, don't forget the budget you set - keep a record of every penny spent and review it regularly to ensure you'll be able to deliver the event within your financial constraints.  Finally, remember your objectives.  Every part of your event delivery should work towards achieving the objectives originally set so check regularly to ensure you haven't lost sight of why you're hosting this event in the first place.

With each and every element of the event, ask yourself HOW for example:

Invitations: How will guests be invited / How will the replies be managed / What information do we need to collect etc
Attendees:  How will you know who arrived and who didn't?  Will name badges be necessary - if so how will they be produced? 
Signage: How will guests know where to go on arrival?  What messaging needs to be displayed?  How will it be produced?
Entertainment:  How will we entertain guests?  How will we find the right supplier?
Health & Safety: How will we ensure we are H&S compliant?  How will we prepare a risk assessment?

​These are just a few examples.  Your plan will be specific to your event and much, much longer!

The internet is a huge asset - google your how question and take a peek at what others have done.  You don't have to start with a blank sheet of paper and if you are stuck for ideas and can't afford to outsource the management of your event, the internet will be a valuable resource.

If hiring a venue, seek advice from them.  You'll need to comply with certain rules imposed by the venue which will direct your decisions to a degree but explain what you need to achieve and ask them what has worked well in the past - ask to attend an upcoming event and take a look at how it works in the space.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Events require a significant investment of time and it’s so important to invest that time because this unique opportunity to meet and interact with suppliers, staff, customers and prospects face to face can be incredible for your business. 

Even more to think about!  This edition was much longer than I wanted it to be so apologies.  I hope the advice is valuable and helping you with your planning. 
Until next week... 
Syreeta ​