Whether you’re hosting a training meeting for 30 people, launching a new product, or planning a user conference for 10,000, execution is key. And no matter the size of your event, there’s going to be lots of moving parts.
From accommodations sourcing & negotiations to attendee management to onsite logistics, there’s generally a lot to think about when you are in the early stages of planning your event. What should your first steps be? Who will you be consulting?
If you’re smart (and if you’re reading this, we’re betting you are), you’ll likely be considering an event management company to assist you with your big event or meeting. After all, one missed component and the whole thing might become a disaster. You don’t want disaster; you want perfection.
Most event management companies tout their flawless logistics as their number 1 selling point. And that’s great, right? Flawless logistics equals a well-oiled machine and zero problems for you or your attendees.
But what if we told you there’s SO much more to events than logistics? Here’s the honest truth: in today’s world with all of our technological advancements, logistics should be a no-brainer. Attendee management is easily taken care of with virtual portals. Accommodations are confirmed by email. Every event management company should easily be able to take care of logistics; it should be a given in today’s tech-savvy world.
Here are a few things aside from logistics that you should consider when planning your next meeting.
Attendee Engagement: Establish Strong Goals
Do you know what your attendees want to take away from your meeting? Do you know what you want them to be taking away? Before we begin planning the event, it’s imperative to find out the “why”: why are you hosting the meeting, and what do you want to get out of it? What do you want your attendees to gain, and more importantly, what do your attendees want to learn?
Until you understand what you want your attendees to gain, you cannot fully measure their engagement. Are they snoozing through your presentations, or actively taking notes and tweeting quotes from your speaker?
Too often, organizations plan their meetings with a “top-down” approach. They consider what information they want to push out, and then they do just that: push out information. The issue with this lies with your attendees. Is this the information they’re looking for or need?
We use principles that enable us to find out what your objectives are, and also find out what your attendees are looking for. Once we have an understanding of both sides, we can then create an action plan that marries these two goals. When you tailor your content to your audience, you get the type of fervent note-taking and tweeting response that every presenter or meeting planner dreams of.
Measurement Strategy
At Motivation Excellence, we do the heavy lifting for you, implementing attendee surveys, running other analytics before and after the event, and working with your presenters to meet both your and your attendees’ objectives.
Once you determine what you want to present and what your audience wants to learn, you can begin to measure if they’ve comprehended it. It’s important to ensure you understand exactly what you’re measuring – and how you’re going to do it.
Analysis
After the event, it is crucial to run a post program analysis in order to determine your overall results. There are two types of analysis – statistical & subjective. Statistical analyses use mathematical models & formulas based directly on the data. Subjective analysis refers to “cause & effect” type relationships based on the statistical data, such as perceptions & beliefs about your company or similar.
No matter the size, scope, or type of objective you have for your meeting, it is essential to establish clear, measurable goals and analyze the results. These are essential for a memorable, engaging experience – not only for your participants, but for you as well. Contact us today to get started.
