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Keys to a Successful Event
Innovative Approaches for Successful Planners
By Patrick Boylan
Planning an award-winning event is a lot like planning a great trip—each step of the process builds on the one before. With this in mind, there are several keys that can help planners on their journeys.
Planning
Key 1: Decide where you are traveling. Before you leave the driveway, determine where you are traveling by learning the client’s event objectives inside and out. Consider the overall goals and the more detailed processes for reaching them. If you keep the true purpose of the meeting in mind, it will be much easier to cater to the specific needs of the client.
Key 2: Establish your price range. Work closely with the client to develop a solid, sound budget for the event. The client’s needs, event goals, attendees’ ROI and audience expectations should all be taken into account in determining where funds will best be allocated.
Key 3: Choose the best destination for the money. With a developed budget, help the client determine the appropriate venue for the event. Take every aspect into consideration when selecting the venue, as this decision will have an immeasurable impact on the overall feel of the event. When possible, become a partner in the site-selection process. Become a resource to your clients by archiving the venue information you accumulate through the years from site visits and events.
Key 4: Select the sites to see at your destination. Look at technology and innovation as no longer budget luxuries but rather as attendee requirements. Technology and innovation can help you lower your costs, as well as increase the overall satisfaction of attendees. Online registration, Internet cafes, expo reader cards and general session innovation have the greatest impact.
Execution
Key 5: Load up the car. Make sure all your passengers are comfortable, including your client—who is in the car with you. When faced with a decision about which fork in the road to take, you will always make the right decision if you protect the interests of your audience as you protect the passengers in your car. It has been this focus on meeting and exceeding clients’ expectations—while defending the attendees’ points of view—that remains key to delivering successful events, pleasing clients and ultimately winning industry recognition.
Key 6: Buckle up and start driving. Be realistic, and know that you will encounter bumps in the road. If you have your maps with you—which include your goals and objectives and your organizational chart—then you can successfully maneuver around any challenges. Allow your planning and management team to execute their roles. This means you must surround yourself with professionals and experts. Your sub-contractors should be an extension of your staff, using the same goals and objectives and working toward the same expectations of excellence and best practices. Whenever possible, work with vendors who handle many different services so you don’t have to explain your program repeatedly.
Review
Key 7: Build a scrapbook. As in any other field, experience certainly provides the best means for learning. An ongoing understanding of an event leads to success; therefore it is key to monitor both attendee and client reactions, during and after the meeting. This continuous measurement of success provides for dynamic action and reaction.
Along with these guidelines, part of the success of great companies will always be owed to having great clients. Meeting planners and event producers strive to be the creators, facilitators and managers of world-class events, but they cannot bring these visions to life without great clients who trust them with the keys to drive the event.
Achieving a good reputation takes focus and perseverance in every step of the production process. It is through these steps—these keys of thorough planning, flawless execution and extensive review—that one can attain a level of success such as a repeat customer base, multiple client accolades and industry recognition. However, one should never rest on the laurels of one’s success. Each event brings with it new challenges and opportunities for excellence. Enjoy the ride.
Article reprint from the Meeting Professional magazine. October 2004 &bull Volume 24 &bull Number 10 &bull PATRICK BOYLAN is president of Winner’s Circle Inc.- a 2004 recipient of MPI’s Global Paragon Award—a member of the PDC Family of Companies
