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Using New and Traditional Marketing Methods to Attract a Larger Crowd to your Event
An events success can hinge on having the right number and type of people in a room. To do this you should use a strategic combination of proven techniques and fresh ideas to expose your event to more people within your target market. Then, make it as easy as possible for people to purchase their tickets and get on board.
Online Advertising
Let’s start with online advertising. Facebook’s Ad Manager tools are impressive and can help you tailor your marketing. You can match up your social media audience with those already on your customer list. Let people know that the event they enjoyed is back! You can double your potential audience by requesting Facebook to match potential audience members with the same profile as existing clients. We have utilised this for a workshop series we produced, it was a huge success!
Depending on the target audience there is also likely to be places online where those people congregate. There may be specific apps or social media groups that draw them in, sometimes even to discuss the topic of the event. It makes sense to market there, as you’ll have a far more receptive audience. Integrating in-app purchasing options is a great way to reduce ticket sale barriers.
Make your proven strategies work harder. Analyse past events to understand which marketing channels were most effective at driving ticket sales. Then exploit this area. Trying new marketing techniques is great when you’re looking to capture a new audience, but it also makes sense to go where your supporters have already shown to be active.
Traditional Advertising
Don’t discount the idea of physical street level marketing. Posters, flyers and print advertising can generate a great deal of interest if they are located well. This will work for some events better than others, but it’s worth investigating as an option. This can be done relatively cheaply but it will cost more than social media placement. Weigh up your options and do your research first.
Look Further than your original target market
Try opening up your event to adjacent interests. This idea may not work if you’re hosting an event for a specific audience, but it’s worth considering if you have a public event planned for a segment of the general public. A wine festival may attract a larger range of people if it becomes a wine and cheese festival, for example. Don’t stray away from your core purpose but consider expanding to include complementary offerings in order to increase the number of attendees.
Diversifying your ticket offerings may be a way to see increased numbers for your next event. Consider selling live-stream access for those who couldn’t otherwise attend, for example. Offering early-bird discounts, half-day passes may help those wavering to commit. On the other end of the spectrum, VIP packages and add-ons, group ticket purchases and other premium options may attract a more discerning clientele.
Make It Easy!
Finally, make it easy for your attendees to purchase their tickets. The growing use of distributed commerce such as CVENT, allows customers to purchase tickets in-app, when they come across event marketing. Make the Register Now buttons easy to find.
Reduce barriers to purchasing on your sales site. This includes removing the need to create an account in order to buy the tickets. Make the data fields as few as possible (it’s tempting to gather as much data as possible, but there is a fine line – use other data collation sources such as Facebook’s Ad Manager). Eliminate as many click-through pages as possible, keep data entry to a single page, and make prices easy to find without forcing a commitment to data entry first.
Reducing these barriers will reduce the amount of drop off you experience. Don’t waste the effort you spent on directing people to the ticketing page by making it so off-putting that they leave without a purchase.
For more ideas on how to effectively market your event, ask your event organiser if they have any recommendations. Effectively marketing your event has the potential to make or break it, so make sure you have done it authentically and tastefully. It is also important you have covered as many areas as possible, to reach the client base you’re after!
For more information on Nectar CC and how we can help market your next brilliant event, please contact Peta on 1300 878 815 or [email protected].
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How To Enhance Audience Engagement At Your Next Event
Conferences and events have evolved quite a bit over the last decade. While audience engagement has always been important, the rise of social media and instant communication have moved the goalposts significantly. There are lots of good ideas to help keep your events engaging and interactive. When audiences are engaged they are more likely to retain information and speak positively of the experience.
Content:
Before we start looking at how to integrate technology into your events, we need to talk about content. Your audience is attending the event because they’ve been promised excellent content. Make sure you invest the right amount of energy in preparing relevant, valuable and interesting information for your attendees. Don’t neglect to draw on the feedback from previous events to tailor your delivery even further.
Online Interactions:
Prior to the event, you can begin drawing attendees into the conversation online. Create a hashtag for the event so you can track participation and content generation. Depending on the style and tone of the event you could release short behind-the-scenes videos, sneak peeks, speaker interviews or quotes to start conversations and encourage shares. Don’t forget to use your email list to share logistics information. Email is also great for sharing adjacent content published by the headlining speakers, for those interested in preparing or exploring a topic further.
During the event you can keep the conversation moving using live Q&A apps for panel discussions. If you’re using a conference app there may be a dedicated function included in the software. On the other hand, keeping the conversation on social media can increase views, reach and engagement even further. Be sure to have a social media team dedicated to curating the flow of information throughout the conference (particularly if you incorporate a live feed into your conference spaces).
Environment:
Audience engagement isn’t restricted to social media. While technology plays an undeniable role in our conference spaces there is no doubt that lived experience is the most valuable to attendees. If it’s appropriate, keep the tone of your event light-hearted and fun. Draw on crowd participation and games to keep large groups interested. Smaller groups in individual sessions can play games, participate in hands-on activities and work in non-traditional spaces. Depending on the length of the conference it’s possible to play longer games like scavenger hunts and raffles that encourage token collection through participation.
The success of an event can sometimes be influenced by how the spaces are set up. For example, it’s not a reach to say that a large room filled with rows of hard chairs provides little encouragement for small group discussion. Get creative with circular and U-shaped layouts to create more intimate settings for sharing. Ensure the space is heated or cooled appropriately and allow fresh air to move through as often as possible (particularly if it’s an area that is being used for much of the day).
Focus on Delegates:
Keep your audience engaged by scheduling regular breaks between sessions. Attendees will need time to digest new information, post on social media and refuel. Provide water, tea and coffee to perk up participants throughout the day. The break times can also encourage networking and informal content review.
Finally, audience members love to feel heard. Give attendees the chance to provide feedback at every opportunity. Get on top of housekeeping issues quickly and fold this year’s feedback on content and delivery into next year’s planning sessions. Keeping an audience engaged isn’t difficult but it does take forethought and dedicated effort before, during and after the event.
The results speak for themselves!
For more information on Nectar CC and how we can help you create an engaging conference, please contact Peta on 1300 878 815 or [email protected].
Keywords:
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Things You Need To Stage A Successful Franchisee Conference
Franchisee conferences are often one of the most valuable tools in a franchisor’s arsenal. A successful franchisee conference can deliver critical training, bring clarity, and orient teams toward high performance when they return home. You can deliver an excellent franchisee conference if you implement some or all of the following ideas.
Set the expectation that all franchisees should attend the conference
They are sometimes seen as optional, but they should form an integral part of the franchisee’s annual planning. Schedule the conference a year in advance to allow plenty of preparation time and choose a time of year that will see the conference deliver the most impact. Providing motivation, focus and product training in the lead up to your company’s peak season can see significant results.
Encourage franchisees to prepare for the conference
They may not have time to prepare large reports or study notes, but they may benefit from a few prompting questions about what they want to get out of the conference, and any goals they’d like to achieve. It may relate to networking, getting out of a comfort zone, learning something new or sharing information with new franchisees.
Conference logistics and content
When it comes to the conference itself there are two key areas you want to get right: logistics and content. Engage a conference and events specialist to manage the logistics of your event. Industry experts can bring a 5-star experience together for you in less time than a team from inside your business (and it leaves your team free to concentrate on content creation in the lead up to the event).
Work with your event coordinator to organise a professional MC for the conference. An experienced MC will do more than tell jokes and introduce speakers. They can share valuable and relevant stories, keep delegates on track with time, share updates, encourage networking, influence the mood and the energy levels in the room.
Invest in the support structures like good food and freely available coffee and tea. The food and service you receive at a conference can colour the entire experience so reinforce the idea that mealtimes at your franchise conference are high-quality and an excellent chance to build networks.
Focused conference sessions
Keep your sessions focussed and powerful with a maximum length of around 45 minutes. Get your delegates moving and involved. Sitting and watching PowerPoint slides for hours on end isn’t inspiring and it can be a complete waste of time if it’s not used judiciously. Instead, encourage break out groups, panel discussions, interactive projects, team-building activities, new product samples/launches, or even outdoor sessions where appropriate.
Foreground your franchisees. External speakers and franchisors can bring critical information and training, but hearing case studies, examples and stories from franchisees operating in the same conditions can mean a lot more, be relatable and instantly applicable. In the same vein, invite sponsors to work the room but discourage formal presentations. Relationships will be made over dinner rather than over the sound system.
Add some fun to your conference
Consider adding a touch of fun such as a costume evening. It can bring a little levity and breaks the ice. Let delegates know ahead of time and keep the theme simple and accessible. Light, fun touches throughout the conference can help avoid a weighed down overly corporate feel.
Get feedback for your conference
Finally, seek out feedback from your franchisee conference attendees and work it into next year’s event. What expectations did the teams have and were they met? Was the content useful and actionable? If problems come up, determine if it was a problem with the content or the delivery. Take the information on board so you can deliver and even more successful conference next year.
www.nectarcc.com.au
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The Myth Of Best Practice Content Design
When it comes to event content design, it is easy to believe that there is some sort of formula that we have to follow to ensure that we are meeting ‘best practice’. So, we delve into the world of research and attend all of the highly acclaimed events that we can to see how they reach their success.
But then it’s just as easy to become despondent when we follow their example exactly and don’t have the same results. In my experience, this is because there is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to events. There are so many variables to consider and a different audience will respond differently to varying approaches.
So, how do you create an approach to ‘best practice’ that works for your event? I’d like to share five tips to help:
1. Keep it simple and targeted.
If you have a new conference, or one that needs reinvigorating, take it back to the basics – less can often be the most effective. Don’t get distracted by the latest technology, celebrity or theming look if they are not what your audience is interested in.
A traditional approach has been to provide your audience with as much information as possible in the quickest time possible, with a belief that is offering value therefore you should sell more tickets. However this is often not the case. You might find it works better for your audience to spread the information distribution out across a couple of days in different formats to hold their attention.
2. Keep researching to stay ahead of the game
Instead of researching what other event runners are doing to make their events more ‘successful’, instead maintain research on your sector or industry. Look into trending topics and find out what fresh ideas your audiences are learning about. There is little to no point in talking to people about what they already know and re-hashing old ideas. This is a sure-fire way to make people switch off and begin to start thinking about what they need to put on their shopping list. If you’re suggesting new spins on old ideas, that’s different. It will provide your audience with something that is unique to your event.
3. Authenticity – focus on your beliefs
When you began your business or began thinking about your conference, I bet there was a belief fuelling every decision you made and an outcome that you wanted to reach. It’s easy with day-to-day life and stresses for that core belief that began everything to begin to fade into the distance. Return your focus to that original dream and what beliefs you want to be underlying your event. Trust me, your audience will be able to tell when there is something deeper to everything that you’re saying – they will appreciate your passion for it and it will leave them with something memorable. If you are speaking at your event, you could even make it personal with an anecdote on when the belief or dream sparked within you.
4. Analyse all results – not just the numbers
Don’t think of your attendees as sponges who are there for you to soak with information. Remember that they are people who want to feel actively involved in your event, as if it has been created for them personally. It would be easy to analyse results on the basic data such as the number of attendees and the number of ticket sales to your event. But just because they bought tickets doesn’t mean that they would return again. To be able to achieve a better understanding of how your audience responded to your event, run a poll while they are there. Mostly everyone has access to devices, meaning that you can receive a real-time idea of what they are thinking via a poll or a survey.
5. Always put your audience first.
No matter what, keep your audience at the forefront of any plan you make for an event. Think about what you want them to gain from attending and how you want to relay the information to them.
Ask what do you want your audience to learn and take away from your event? If you were in the audience, what would you expect? How would you expect the information to be relayed to you? What would impress you? What wouldn’t you want to see? Form an action plan with your team to see what you would all want to gain from attending an event, match it together with your poll from your previous event and keep moving onwards and upwards.
So remember – your event is unique, your audience is unique and your content should also be unique. This is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ event design plan so stop looking for one! Create your own ‘best practice’ and grow from there.
Author: Peta Moore
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How To Keep Up With The Changing Face Of Sponsorship
Advice from the Guru
In my role as Sales Director for Nectar, I know that finding sponsors for your event can be challenging, and the pressure is on to ensure sponsorships deliver. Always on the hunt for new and better ways to attract and retain sponsors, I was excited to attend a workshop run by the formidable Kim Skildum-Reid, author of The Sponsor Seekers Toolkit, who is, I think, the closest thing we have in Australia to a sponsorship guru. It was an intense two days of insights and highly valuable content that I am going to try and distill down and share across a series of blog posts, with my personal take on the changing face of sponsorship throw in!
In the first 5 minutes of my workshop I learnt:
The majority of my assumptions around the art of sponsorship were potentially outdated
Thankfully there was a modern definition that actually made a lot more sense AND was a lot more fun to implement.
The Evolution of Sponsorship
Like most everything in our world of events, sponsorship has evolved and now has to be more integrated, more measurable and more relevant for audiences to engage with than ever before. During her workshop, Kim referred to three sponsorship ages that we’ve gone through to date.
1st generation sponsorship was sold based on the benefits gained from being exposed or associated with an event. Trouble was research showed there was in fact a zero measurable return on this!
2nd generation then progressed to becoming an opportunity to anchor or activate a sales promotion. However this only resulted in producing short term gains.
3rd generation of sponsorship developed into offering sponsors the chance to drive their marketing objectives through an event. While this was great for the sponsors it ran the risk of detracting from the audience’s (or fan) experience. Picture a sponsor pursuing their goals to the detriment of the event = no winners
In my experience, there are many events still approaching sponsors on the basis of exposure and therefore working in the past!
Sponsorship today
So what is sponsorship today? It has to be aligned with the way we think about our event design – it’s all about:
Focusing on your delegates and on how you show respect and add value to their experience. This means drilling down to exactly who they are, what they care about and why they come to your event.
And once you’ve done this then your job is to find a sponsor that shares their attributes. Then illustrate for this sponsor how they might benefit by making a genuine connection through adding to the delegate’’s experience.
For me, the key shift to this 4th generation of sponsorship is realising that it is not about you, it’s not about your event but rather its delegates/audience. Your job is then to act as a chaperone to find the best match between your audience and a prospective sponsor that will benefit all three parties being you, your audience and the sponsor.
Next time I will focus on how you go about deciding just who to approach as your next potential sponsor which I think is the next key to ensuring your search has the best chance of producing a result.
Stay tuned for more!
With our trademark flexibility + frameworks, Nectar Creative Communications can provide whatever you need; be it the logistical expertise of conferences and events or the marketing and content smarts to ensure audiences are engaged and measurable results are achieved.
Need more information? Contact the Nectar team today.
1300 878 815
www.nectarcc.com.au
Author: Nick Moore has what some call the gift of the gab. We’ve put his skills to good use across a variety of projects as Nectar Creative Communications Event Sales Manager.
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Learning Styles and How They Impact Audience Engagement
As conference program designers, we know it is of vital importance for delegates to be able to harness and use the information shared at conferences in order to ensure the event offers value and drives a measurable outcome.
Over the years there has been plenty of research and discussion into the best ways to learn, how we learn and what we can do to improve methods of knowledge sharing. I believe a well designed program includes careful consideration of the means of communicating at a conference so that there is content for all of the different kinds of people, who learn in different ways.
Creating an overarching plan that delves deeper into the topic choice without losing the attention of the audience is a unique challenge in itself. But how do you do this?
You need to create an experience that blends learning styles and enhances the delegates senses.
There are some key ‘learning’ facts that we need to remember when designing a conference program:
Learning is not a product, but a process.
Learning is not something to merely be heard, but actioned.
Learning makes a change in our brains. When we learn, there is an active chemical and biological reaction within our minds.
Now, with this in mind it is important to remember we are all unique in our own way, even down to the manner in which we learn and take in new information. These different learning styles have been documented across the years so I have summarised seven of them below with notes as to how to identify them in your conference audience:
Auditory learners. They like to hear everything being explained to them and are more likely to choose subjects that are appealing to their learning style such as music and subjects that require them to have group discussions. This can mean that they can have a long attention span and can listen to speakers for an extended period of time without losing focus.
Visual learners. They like to see everything laid out before them in the form of diagrams or charts. They have photographicl-ike memories that are more likely to take in the information when it is presented to them in a visual manner, especially if it is in more of a creative manner – presented with vivid colours and interesting shapes. They will also be more likely to take notes and sit at the front of the conference room.
Verbal learners. A combination of the previous two types of learners. They enjoy writing when learning and also speak aloud which means they will want to write notes but also have discussions about the topic that they are learning, mixing and matching between their two preferred methods of learning to find the best form for them. This audience responds well to workshop or interactive sessions formats.
Logical learners. These delegates are more likely to notice when patterns emerge between lines of data or other information presented to them. They are happy to learn in any way – auditory or visual – as long as it is presented to them in a logical and practical way. They like to see how the method they are being taught will apply to their everyday lives. Case study sessions are really effective for logical learners.
Physical learners. Often referred to as ‘hands-on learners’ who like to get their hands on whatever materials they can that are relevant to the subject matter. They are more likely to be one of the more distracted of your audience, jittery and fidgety. However as this movement could be helping them take the information in, find the balance to keep them engaged and ensure some sessions involve physical movement or practical work.
Social learners. These are most conference delegates as they like to be surrounded by others.
Solitary learners. These learners don’t like to be surrounded by anyone and are more likely to tune in to virtual or online sessions – these are an easy audience to forget!
So, with all these different learners in our audience – how do we create one conference environment that caters to all of them? The best way is to adopt a mixed learning approach. This will ensure that you won’t lose your learners to distraction and will hopefully achieve the desired results.
When designing conference programs for clients I always explore the following two questions:
Which mix of learning methods would best fit this event and audience?
What proportion of time for each learning mode will have the most impact?
So long as your conference format includes time for listening, free time, doing, working and learning, you will be providing your learners with the optimum chance to achieve and learn to their highest capacity.
With our trademark flexibility + frameworks, Nectar Creative Communications can provide whatever you need; be it the logistical expertise of conferences and events or the marketing and content smarts to ensure audiences are engaged and measurable results are achieved.
Need more information? Contact the Nectar team today.
1300 878 815
www.nectarcc.com.au
Author: Peta Moore is the Managing Director of Nectar Creative Communications. Peta entered the industry in 1996 and has been unstoppable since. She created her own agency in 2008 to harness her experience as an in-house and contract Event Producer. She has built an event management team which is amazing.
What would Peta do if she wasn’t in events? She’d be a travel writer visiting exotic locations – all expenses paid of course!
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Tips To Make Your Event More Environmentally Sustainable
As event planners, we all should have a personal interest in reducing the environmental impact of our events. There are some preconceived views that by going green, it will add additional costs and time to your event planning process.
In our experience with clients, by implementing some simple strategies to be more environmentally sustainable, not only will benefit the environment itself but it can reduce your costs and present a valuable marketing opportunity for your brand.
Going green does often require event planners to think outside of the box. We should start by asking ourselves the following:
How can you begin changing the way you do events? What choices can you make to be more sustainable in your event planning?
Here are some of our ideas.
Select the right venue
The location and transportation to your event can significantly cut down on your carbon footprint. By choosing a venue close to delegates it will reduce their travel time and distance to attend.
Source venues that can also accommodate delegates during their stay and is easily accessible by public transport or by foot. This can also greatly reduce your environmental impact. Make sure that there are plenty of things to do nearby to your venue like restaurants and shopping.
Waste Management
Invest in ways to manage your event waste to ensure you recycle or reuse as much as possible and eliminate unnecessary excess. You should ensure your venue provides appropriate recycling and rubbish bins and they have regular collection and disposal procedures.
Events are notorious for wasting food. Ensure your guest count is accurate and finalise the amount needed with your caterers. If there are leftovers, consider donating to a local charity.
Reducing single-use plastics like water-bottles, and provide tap water stations. Encourage your delegates to bring along their own bottles to refill during the event. You should also replace all plastic cutlery, plates or cups and choose re-usable or biodegradable options instead.
Another consideration is your corporate branding. By implementing reusable signage means these can be used again for future events.
Innovation and Technology
Starting with something as simple as paper-free before, during and post event is an easy way to make a large impact.
Create an event website, app and email subscription service for your delegates. Not only will this allow direct communication with your audience in real time, it will minimise your event’s footprint. This will save also on those dreaded printing costs! Having your event information readily available on your site, blog or social channels makes it easier to share your updates, event information and connect with an extended network. You can build your audience and reach for your events while increasing engagement. And no cutting down trees!
With the advancement in technology and continuous growth in the digital world, there are many ways you can save on power to make a more sustainable event. Options like LED lighting will help minimize your footprint. Discuss with your AV team how you can create a more sustainable event by using less energy.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Being environmentally sustainable in business is a hot topic right now. As event planners, by implementing these strategies, you have the opportunity to show what your brand can offer, what your client is all about and why your delegates and sponsors should continue working with you.
At Nectar have developed our own Sustainable Event Management Policy and we will always support our clients environmental objectives to ensure we are innovators with a keen mind for protecting our planet for the future.
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Insider Tips To Negotiating Your Next Venue Contract
We’ve all been there. You have spent days/weeks finding the right venue for your gala dinner or conference with lots of exhibition space, or even a last minute meeting room – made the decision and thought excellent – well done the hard part is over … and then the contract arrives….
It’s a “book’’ of small print and big numbers with dollar signs …schedules of room capacities, room hire and required, estimated food & beverage expenditure vs actual – and the $’s send you into an initial spin…and why are some of the room hire waived and others not ? and what is included in the room hire – it does differ depending on the venue.
Sound familiar??
There are many things to consider and keep in mind when negotiating your next venue contract – following are a few tips that have made a huge difference in my experience:
Share your budget with the venue – they are there to help you – they want to partner in business with you and being totally honest and transparent cuts through a lot of time wasting for both parties and don’t be smart – give them your REAL budget.
Tell them they’re dreaming? Ask yourself – Is it a first time event ? Will you really get those numbers ? Have you done your budget ? Know the value of your event when you start negotiations with the venue. Review your release backs, is there a smaller / larger room you can go to if you numbers do/don’t come in ? How flexible is the venue?
Too big, too small or just right ? After deciding on the venue – it’s the room size – nothing worse than going ‘big’ and locking in a room that needs draping to make it smaller come event time – a nasty budget item …. It’s really important that the heart does not rule the head – it needs to be the perfect fit – geographical location, suitable space and size and at a price to suit your budget.
The venue has the power to enhance or diminish the success of an event and with their guidance, you can choose a room that will keep your delegates impressed and engaged throughout the occasion – not squashed in or looking like half your guests have not turned up.
Room Hire and/or F&B spend….. Rule of thumb – if you are in the right sized room – your f&b spend should waiver your room hire – review your spend – are YOU being stingy with your spend – if its a ticketed event and you are feeding your guests main course only with cash bar – you may have a riot – or at least it will not be a repeat event…exceed your guests expectations and deliver a value for money experience – far better than paying ’empty rent’ (room hire) if you do not meet the spend.
For events where food & beverage is minimal – ask the question, if you have chosen a non-peak period you may have some negotiation here – Are you bringing considerable ‘other’ revenue streams to the property – ie car park or use of public catering outlets – is your event happening in a slow period – Jan or Feb, school holidays ?
How is your cash flow? Be transparent with the venue as to deposit schedules – if you rely on registrations to commence – tell them; alternatively if you can pay in a month or quarter, financial year of benefit to the venue to achieve budget – do so.
To seal a good deal – offer multiples. Venues LOVE repeat clients, they get to know you and develop a relationship making their life easier by knowing what and how you like it. Can you offer multiple years or several events per year – work collaboratively with your team internally and externally.
Consider getting in the professionals! Conference and Event Managers can end up paying for themselves in the savings you will make by engaging them – they have long standing relationships with hotel chains, convention and exhibition centres and let’s not talk about the time and stress involved working through that contract. They can identify a host of suitable venues to present to you and negotiate on your behalf to secure the best value.
Need help? Let Nectar Creative Communications work with you to choose the right venue for your event and negotiate the best contract for you.
Author: Angela Morrisby, Senior Event Manager, Nectar Creative Communications
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When Does Your Delegate Journey Begin?
When you are in the planning stages of your event, it is important to think about and map out the delegate journey from start to finish.
So, that begs the question – when does the delegate journey begin? You may naturally have thought that it began the moment that they stepped into the venue, however the more we work in a world obsessed by CX (customer experience) the more we need to look at the bigger picture. I believe the delegate journey begins long before they even reach the event and it continues long after they have left. In order to create a positive delegate experience, you need to ensure that the event was worth the time it took them to get there and was also worth the registration fee they had to pay to attend. If by attending our event they had a behaviour-changing experience or left with an increase in knowledge, new connections and lasting memories then our job as event planners is done.
If you are unsure where to start with this process, I’ve got a few thought-starters for you:
Everyone is different – your event isn’t and should never be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ event. Even though they will share a common interest as they are at the same event, your attendees will all have different behaviours, attitudes and motivations for being there. Begin to think about the types of people that you could have at your event and what expectations they will have. At every stage of the delegate journey, you want to create something unexpected that will have the delegate reacting in a positive manner. While creating moments that are unexpected for the delegates, you also want to remember that some things may happen that are unexpected for you as the event planner. While your delegate journey may be a straight line, it is important to consider what might happen that could disrupt your linear structure. You obviously want to avoid this as much as you can but it is something that needs to be planned for and should be part of the planning process.
Plan before and after – As I mentioned previously, you need to bear in mind that your delegate’s journey begins long before they arrive at your venue and finishes long after they leave. The before and after stages of your event are vital. In detail, plan how they will hear about or be invited to your event, how they will register and what confirmation they will receive. Go through the process yourself. Are there any elements to it that you believe to be clunky or too much hard work or just not in keeping with the key messages and objectives of the event? Going through the process yourself will give you a better insight of what needs to change or could be improved. When considering how your delegates will feel after leaving, you need to think about one main question – what will they leave with? If they leave feeling the same as when they arrived then something needs to change with the delegate journey. If I am at an event, I want to feel as if I have achieved something by going there whether that’s meeting someone I wanted to meet, hearing from an amazing speaker, seeing something for the first time or learning something new. Think about every possible outcome so that you can limit the risk of people leaving and feeling negatively or unchanged. Also, think about the legacy of your event, what will follow, will your delegates hear anything more from you?
Include empathy mapping – intertwined into your delegate journey should be a map of the feelings that your delegates should feel during the event. The different sessions and functions that you have running throughout the day will have different effects on your delegates. This is essential for program planning and knowing what you may need to change throughout the day to evoke the required emotion.
Naturally, towards the end of your event, everything will begin to dissipate and wind down. However, you shouldn’t allow this to affect how your delegates feel. Saying goodbye to your delegates is equally as important as when you are welcoming them to the venue. Think about what your last activity or function of the day is and how it will have your delegates feeling. Think about putting friendly members of staff on the door to act as a final point of contact for your customers. This will be their last memory of the event so make sure that it is a strong one.
With these things in mind, you can now begin to plan your delegate journey to ensure that it is a positive one from the beginning to the end.
Author: Peta Moore, Managing Director, Nectar Creative Communications
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How To Achieve Headache-free Speaker Management
We all know that quality speakers and engaging content are key to attracting delegates and ensuring they get value from your conference. Seamless speaker management is one of the most important tasks for conference organisers but it can be a long, tedious process. As a team of specialist program designers we have perfected the process of speaker management for both fully curated programs, and also those with an abstract submission and review process involved. Speaker management is many things from data capture and management to working with the speakers to ensure they understand and deliver on a brief. It is also intrinsically connected with the event marketing – like so many aspects of event management, clear communication to all stakeholders is key to success!
Feeling that head-ache coming on? To assist here are four of my top tips to make the overall speaker management process headache-free and ensure you get the most out of your speakers.
Create a One-Stop speaker form to collate all of the speakers’ marketing materials such as bios, headshots, and session descriptions for inclusion in the program. I know everyone loves to work from their emails nowadays but after constant email exchanges and phone calls, it’s easy to forget where you left off and what has been confirmed. Thanks to many of existing event management tools out there, such as EventsAir, you can easily create an online speaker form where you can capture all of the data you want at once and as a bonus, this will stay in your database FOREVER! This process ensures no details get missed and allows you to communicate with all of the speakers effectively and efficiently.
Tap into speakers’ networking channels to promote your event broadly. Your speaker is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have to promote your event to like-minded industry experts or potential target audiences you perhaps never counted on. Simply create a speaker graphic tool kit that can include an email banner, social media posts or a flyer with your branding and share with speakers to distribute within their circle. Don’t forget to include action items such as ‘REGISTER NOW’ or ‘JOIN ME at the conference’
Have a dedicated speaker preparation room onsite – for me, this is a must-have. A quote from my uni professor once shared with me is “Event is not an event without an event.” Yes, that’s true and when it comes to AV, I couldn’t agree more. Having a speaker preparation room with a designated AV technician during the conference provides ample time for speakers to go through their presentation and conduct a mini rehearsal if they wish. This process will bring them confidence before they go, and also ensure the AV team are fully prepared so there are no surprises when they get on stage.
Last-minute cancellation, no problem! Nothing can be worse than a last-minute speaker cancellation or speaker can not make it due to unforeseen circumstances. From our recent FearLess National Conversation on PTSD, we were expecting dozens of speaker flight booking cancellations due to inclement weather in the Sydney area. Did we panic? We could’ve… but instead, we came up with backup plans 1) Identify possible replacement among the speakers who are happy to take another session or a delegate who can share their experience with the audience and 2) Check with the AV team on the option of using a video conference platform such as Zoom to have a virtual session. Luckily, all of our speakers were able to make it and we didn’t have to use any of our back up plans but having these plans in place gave our client huge confidence that they could rely on our service.
Need help managing your speakers? Let Nectar Creative Communications work with you to ensure you are maximising your conference’s speaker program without any head-aches!
Author: Sukhee Chae, Conference & Event Coordinator, Nectar Creative Communications
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What Is The Point Of Exhibiting?
In the face of so many new ways to connect with potential clients, it’s easy to overlook the tried and true methods. And I get it, exhibiting is not sexy and, for anyone who has stood at a trade booth for 10 hours a day over 2-3 days, it’s hard work. It’s even worse if you’ve got no one to talk to or if you’re there as a delegate visiting the world’s most boring exhibition! So what’s the point?!
Well I’m glad you asked because there are many profitable reasons to add this to your marketing mix. Industry research tells us:
Trade show and exhibition attendees are there looking to make a purchase. These are not cold leads but warm leads that are walking up and saying Hi!’
These people have both buying authority AND purchasing power. Again compare that to the effort required simply to find who within a target company might fit that description let alone then having to connect with them and yet here they are right in front of you.
92% of those visiting exhibitions say they are looking for new products and solutions.* Do you have a new product or a solution? Would you like to get it in front of an audience with authority and buying power looking for new products or solutions?
It’s a great opportunity to meet up with existing clients. Reinforce that relationship, connect and have some ready-made fans at your booth. It can be easy enough to come up with a reason to entice them to come along.
Finally, remember the old adage that ‘people buy from people’ . Unless you’re the first to market there is a very good chance that many others are offering exactly what you’re selling. So how do you cut through? I think if you can make a face-to-face personal connection that’s a good place to start.
But to paraphrase a great inventor, ‘‘success is 10% showing up and 90% how you prepare”. So with that in mind, here are my three top tips if you are thinking about exhibiting;
If you haven’t exhibited before then seek out lots of advice ( and think about your own experiences visiting other trade shows, what worked, what didn’t). Even if you have done this before many times, make sure you’re at least looking out for ideas on current best practices to make the most of your efforts.
Map out your ‘visitors experience’, determine your marketing goals and how you are going to achieve them. From here you can work back and plan your logistics, supplies, people, and processes to achieve your desired results. And don’t neglect thinking about post-event activity during your planning stage; believe it or not, many exhibitors still don’t follow up their leads within a timely manner and therefore lose the sales momentum gained by connecting at the show.
Finally it’s crucial to set your expectations, something which should probably be your first step. Anyone that has exhibited regularly knows it’s about playing the long game. While there is a small chance of landing a hot prospect, it’s more likely that the return on investment will occur over time. Don’t go into this thinking there will be a bottom line to show for your efforts at the end of the event. Rather see this as a chance to take that first step with a new client in entering their buying mix.
If you’d like to know more give Nectar Creative Communications a call and we’d be happy to share some ideas with you.
Author: Nick Moore, Sales and Partnerships Director, Nectar Creative Communications
*source: Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) reports
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Why Wait To Be Wise?
As an industry there are many tools and metrics available to us to measure the success and impact of our conferences and events. We can gather and analyse data for hours, even days if we wanted to! Yet, given the investment in both time and money a conference or event takes, I question if it is wise to wait till it’s all done and dusted before we determine if it was successful?
Don’t get me wrong, I believe post event surveys and onsite feedback is all incredibly valuable when facing the challenge of improving your conference year after year. There is plenty we can learn from this data to maximise attendee engagement next time around. However, as author Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) once said, “It is easy to be wise after the event”.
I believe the integration of a key measurement step during the event planning phase is essential if we are serious about designing conference programs that have a lasting impact on our delegates. Put simply we should be checking the ROI well before our delegates arrive.
Create a ‘Picture of Success’
As always, being clear on your event objectives or what your ‘picture of success’ will be at the beginning of the project is the starting point to all successful planning. This is when you think about the behaviour you want to drive, the audience you want to engage and identify the business, social, and/or industry impact you want to achieve. Drilling down on these objectives, clearly articulating them and making them measurable should always be part of the initial event plan which is signed off by all key stakeholders.
Of course using previous event data as a benchmark is useful for setting goals such as the number of delegates, sponsors and exhibitors. This data may also tell you who the delegates are and where they came from; why they attended and what they found most valuable. It will also shape your marketing and revenue goals. All of this information can and should be leveraged to develop your ‘picture of success’ and enable you to craft a powerful event strategy.
Once developed, we shouldn’t leave these objectives in an event planning document only to be looked back upon when we are writing up our post event report. These should be the reference point for any major decision made throughout the planning process and used to measure the potential success of your event.
Check the ROI
Once you have profiled your audience and mapped their journey at the event, you’ll have your first draft program ready for review. Quite often, in my experience, this is where things can go off track. Different stakeholders have different business or personal agendas that they bring to the table and the program can shift in one direction, then back in another – losing focus and purpose. I recommend that at this stage you do a preliminary check of the ROI with all stakeholders. Go back to your event goals – will this program meet them all? Look at your audience, brand, learning environment and behaviour based objectives and make the adjustments to your program if it’s not meeting these. Leave things out if they are not contributing to achieving the best outcome.
Allow time for change
Unfortunately, with reduced lead times common place these days, I don’t believe we leave enough time in our pre-event planning timeline to go through this ROI checking process – more than once if necessary. How many times are we pushing our teams to publish that program on the website, lock in that keynote, get registrations open – we are so deadline driven that we miss this opportunity to tweak and refine the event and ensure the greatest chance of success BEFORE we’ve spent the budget and delivered onsite.
At Nectar, we always schedule in a ‘review’ with our team and our clients before we start locking everything in and publishing. It’s important not just to be ‘wise’ after our events when, with hindsight, it’s clear to see where we strayed from the plan. Don’t wait 12 months or two years to implement change at your next event – be proactive and take control of the delegate experience by designing the program for maximum impact now.
For more information on Nectar CC and how we can help manage and track ROI for your next brilliant event, please contact Peta on 1300 878 815 or [email protected].
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A Memorable Moment We Love (Are We Showing Our Age?)
Who remembers the 1991 movie LA Story? For those who might be a little younger than us, it is a film that manages to be a fantasy AND a romantic comedy (google it!). A beautifully crafted movie about love, life and how it is possible to find the right person in your life…eventually!
One of the most memorable scenes from the movie is the LA style of ordering coffee which potentially sparked off the ‘custom coffee order’ craze that is still with us today. Here’s how it went:
Tom: I’ll have a decaf coffee.
Trudi: I’ll have a decaf espresso.
Morris Frost: I’ll have a double decaf cappuccino.
Ted: Give me decaffeinated coffee ice cream.
Harris: I’ll have a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon.
Trudi: I’ll have a twist of lemon.
Tom: I’ll have a twist of lemon.
Morris Frost: I’ll have a twist of lemon.
Cynthia: I’ll have a twist of lemon.
Now that’s memorable don’t you think?
At Nectar Creative Communications – we listen, we are flexible and we offer that special type of service with a twist……and the central element is the memorable success of the event. We can organise events from start to finish, or take care of just one aspect such as:
Sourcing a venue and negotiating the contract
Prepare the draft event budget for approval (and sticking to it)
Recommend and deliver great speakers
Developing the program theme / topics / story
Organise the marketing activity and promotion
Manage the venue logistics
Managing suppliers for example: lighting, audio visual, caterers, health and safety, event staffing
Design and styling
Reviewing and managing risk
Managing onsite deployment and event success
Post-event analysis
We are adept at taking the mind-boggling brief and turning it into exactly what our client had in mind. We also love a good combination fantasy / comedy film – and of course as event planners we LOVE coffee!!
And for those who want to walk down memory lane – here’s the clip from LA Story: https://youtu.be/eqqXCiPJTXE
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Best Of Brisbane – New Venues You Need To Know About
Over the past twelve months it seems like the Nectar inbox has been inundated with opening invitations (#notcomplaining), so after perhaps a few too many welcome aperol spritzes and canvassing the team, we thought it was time to announce our own ‘Best of Brisbane’ for new event venues. As a Queensland-based event agency we may be a little biased but we don’t think anyone is going to dispute that Brisbane is so hot right now! The big country town is coming of age – and before we launch into the same old Sydney/Melbourne/somewhere suitably ‘cooler’ comparisons, we’re going to go out on a limb and say there is no comparison – this is the new Brisbane, taking on her own uniquely Queensland style and flaunting it for all she’s got. We can attest that Brisbane now has everything Sydney and Melbourne offer – except with better weather, friendlier people, less traffic and without the eye-watering hotel rates. Is it time to take another look at Brisvegas? You bet it is.
Howard Smith Wharves
Brisbane CBD
It could be argued that the new HSW precinct is not only breathing life into one of Brisbane’s significant historical sites but is now the unofficial ‘life and soul’ of Brisbane. With a spectacular riverfront location under the Story Bridge, the precinct is a destination in itself offering accommodation, conference and event space, craft brewery and fabulous dining all in the CBD. The cleverly designed meeting space caters for events from 10 to 1000 all with natural light and those famous Brisbane river views. And dare we say it, the opening of HSW has almost single-handedly put Brisbane firmly on the incentive destination wish list with myriad ‘only in Brisbane’ wow event possibilities.
W Brisbane
Brisbane CBD
There was a time when the words ‘Brisbane’ and ‘funky five-star hotel’ just didn’t go together. The opening of the five-star luxury W Brisbane has solved the problem of where to have that creative launch or event with innovative design, clever AV, river views and that famous W quirk factor which embraces the best of the Sunshine State. The cleverly designed WET Deck Pool just oozes pool party as it morphs from pool, to bar, to sunset terrace with views to Southbank. With event capacity for up to 750 guests and 312 accommodation rooms we predict the W Brisbane will become one of the city’s most popular conferencing hotels.
Emporium Hotel Southbank
Southbank
We had mixed feelings about the Emporium name being taken off the Fortitude Valley boutique property we all knew and loved (now Ovolo The Valley) to take up residence in Southbank. Any concerns it would lose its oasis-like feel however have been put to rest. Yes, it’s bigger and shinier but you’ll be surprised and delighted at every turn in this magnificent hotel; from the spectacular roof-top The Terrace bar, to stylish conference space and one of the most beautiful dining rooms and piano bars in Brisbane. A short stroll from the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, it’s great to see a true five-star offering in Southbank for conference delegates. And did we mention the 21st floor infinity pool, the 250pax state-of-the-art conference space or the mirror that transforms into your in-room TV?
Fortitude Music Hall
Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley
Fortitude Music Hall opened to much acclaim in July 2019, helped in part by the fact that ex-Powderfinger bassist John Collins is one of the driving forces behind the new venue. Built to fill the gap left behind by Brisbane’s Festival Hall, this venue proves that live music venues don’t have to be grungy barren spaces you only want to see when the lights are off. Drawing inspiration from Brisbane’s Art Deco theatres that were torn down in the 80s, the venue can hold up to 3000 people standing/ 1100 seated and offers a selection of smaller spaces, intimate lounge bars and a grand foyer ideal for corporate events. FMH joins a host of other live music venues around Brisbane, testament to the city’s flourishing live music scene.
The Calile Hotel
James Street, Fortitude Valley
If anywhere has captured the essence of the new Brisbane, it’s The Calile Hotel on Fortitude Valley’s James Street. Embracing Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate yet effortlessly assimilating into its urban surrounds, The Calile Hotel is so achingly on-trend it almost hurts. Walking into The Calile is reminiscent of stepping into a resort with ‘look at me’ pool, luxe lobby bar, outdoor dining, boutique shopping, spa and breezy spaces. They’ve also thought carefully about their event space with a grand ballroom for up to 500 people, outdoor amphitheatre space and many poolside options.
Looking for a conference or event venue in Brisbane? We can help! As a Brisbane-based event planner we know Brisbane and can help with venue sourcing, onsite event management, registration and programming.
Thinking about Brisbane for your next incentive? Contact us for more information on programs that will motivate and inspire!
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Should I Breakout?
Organising a conference to cater for every member of your audience is no easy feat. You’ll often face questions on whether you should add breakouts into your event so you can tailor bespoke formats, environments and content to suit different segments of the audience.
My general point of view is if you have more than one audience segment or a wide variance in the level of experience in attendance, then you should 100% consider breakouts during your program. This ensures a more tailored and beneficial experience for your delegates.
Before I jump into some of the benefits I have personally found from adding breakouts to conference programs, I first want to explain a couple of important terms used programming a conference and the differences between them so we are all on the same page.
The difference between a keynote and a plenary speaker
Although they share the same stage, a keynote speaker and a plenary speaker play different roles in your conference program story.
Keynote refers to the underlying theme of a larger idea. Therefore, a Keynote Speaker’s main purpose is to reinforce the meeting’s main idea or theme. A Keynote presentation is normally the major centerpiece and attraction of a conference.
A Plenary Speaker on the other hand is often from within an organisation, the same industry or a related industry, as opposed to a professional speaker.
The difference between plenary and breakout sessions
A plenary session is a section of a conference for all members to attend and covers a broader range of content. A breakout session is when the large group of people at the event splits into smaller groups to learn about different topics. They are offered simultaneously in different rooms and attendees decide which sessions that they would enjoy the most and get the most benefit from.
The benefits of having the audience split into breakout sessions
All well-planned programs have an overarching theme. Breakout sessions offer another opportunity to discuss, reflect, or act upon those themes in a more intimate or specialized setting.
Breakout sessions can involve different levels of knowledge and break the topic into different levels: beginner, moderate, and advanced, this allows everyone a chance to get just what they need.
Conferences are not cheap. By giving attendees options on what exactly they want to see and learn, you give them power. They leave the conference feeling like they were in charge of their learning and that your event was well money spent because it catered to their needs.
Developing your breakout sessions requires careful planning and audience mapping. It’s not just a matter of filling in boxes on a program! One approach I take is to create sub themes and then group the topics. I step out the learning journey so that it builds for the delegates from one session to the next.
Different formats you can use in breakouts
Variety helps your breakout sessions stand out and be memorable. Think about offering different breakout formats or tools to ensure they are interactive and engaging. I have listed a few ideas below.
Gamification – Add gamification to entice those who favor the virtual world. Gamification can tap into the current trends for VR and AR tech. This option allows many attendees who enjoy learning via this technology to explore the topic themselves.
Role Play – Add role play sessions. Being hands-on creates an opportunity to network and make learning fun.
Take it Outdoors – For certain occasions, taking the session outdoors would allow people to experience a more relaxed environment, soak up the sun, or enjoy the breeze while learning something new.
Roundtable – Adding this session would provide a more intimate feel and allow the presenter to break the audience into even smaller groups to talk about mini-topics.
Attendees Pick the Topic – This session allows the audience to pick the topic of discussion,and be in charge of the presentation based on which route they want to take.
Alongside these different formats it’s always worth considering how you can utilise different environments for breakouts too. Outdoor spaces, casual spaces, seperate rooms, or lounges can all work depending on the format.
Bringing everyone back together again
If delegates separate into smaller breakout groups, I think it is really important to gather everyone back together to close the conference and reinforce the theme and key messages.
It allows the opportunity to review the key accomplishments of the event and of the delegates so everyone leaves with the key messages and feeling they got great value from the experience.
For multi-day events, it is worth reviewing accomplishments at the end of each major session and recapping at the end of each day. The more you affirm success with the entire group of attendees and send home the key messages, the more momentum you’ll create.
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Managing Dietary Requirements At Your Next Event
As event planners, we have a duty of care to ensure that any delegate dietary requirements are considered and where possible provided at your venue of choice for events or conferences.
Delegate satisfaction affects the success of an event, so we need to always ensure our menus cater for everyone. Often catering an event can get quite overwhelming but with considered planning, it doesn’t need to be complex or in fact time-consuming to event planners.
The team at Nectar have come up with some easy tips to help you plan catering at your next event to accommodate any delegate dietary needs.
Understand your audience
Having a profile of your potential audience should provide some insights into the types of dietary requests you may receive, and therefore should be considered when selecting menus for your event.
Dietary requirements can be based on allergies, intolerances, cultural or religious views. Meeting the expectations of your delegates is key as these catering requests may in fact be critical to their health. It’s important that your delegates feel confident they can consume the menu presented at your event without incident.
Research dietary needs in advance
There are so many different dietary needs out there today and it’s worth spending some time researching these as an event planner to understand your delegate requests.
Some health-related diets include gluten-free, celiac and diabetes whereas some common dietary requests include dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, ketogenic and paleo. Other requests may include low sugar, low GI, whole 30, organic and pregnancy related. Religious diet requests for delegates can include kosher and halal.
An event menu should always include gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan options as a base standard.
Food allergies can be severe and even life-threatening if a person is exposed to certain allergens. There are 8 major food allergens that should be considered including, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, soy and wheat. You should always ensure your venue declares all ingredients that feature in their menus.
Preparation is key
As an event planner, you should always give advance notice to your venues to ensure they are able to accommodate all your delegate dietary requests. It’s critical that you discuss and plan for all dietary requirements from the initial planning stage to ensure the basics are covered in your menu.
Using a simple form when the delegate registers to include any requests is a good first step in planning. This may lessen the risk of any last-minute surprisesand gives your venue time to source suitable ingredients or alternatives for your delegates needs.
Consider your catering budget
Sometimes catering for certain preferences for your event can be quite costly. It’s critical to check in with the venue which special diets it accommodates, and which ones may incur additional fees in advance.
Most good venues already consider dietary options. Check with your venue if they already have menus designed with multiple choices for the likes of gluten and dairy free dishes as well as vegetarian options – these are usually a good place to start..
Work together
As an event planner, you should work collaboratively with your venue to create a menu to cater for all delegates. Ensure you are both in agreement on how to handle any last-minute requests and how the kitchen staff will be notified of same.
Your event registration forms need to clearly articulate any dietary requirements and shouldn’t be open to any misinterpretation. If further clarification is needed, as the event planner you should contact the delegate direct to discuss their requirements in detail.
Plan for attractive menu choices
If a dietary request is received, you should work with the venue to ensure that it is as attractive as the other menu options you offer. There is nothing worse than a last minute option that shows no imagination or consideration for the delegate.
As the event planner, you need to ensure all venue staff are informed of dietary requirements and briefed about menu choices. Ensure all menu items clearly state ingredient information and any allergen contents, and buffets are signed.
Obtain catering feedback
You should always ask your delegates for feedback on your event including the catering. This will provide you with insights into your future planning to ensure your menu items are appealing to guests with dietary needs.
As an event planner, you need to ensure your guests feel listened to about their needs and are well serviced, so they leave your event satisfied and happy.
For more information on Nectar CC and how we can help create your next brilliant event, with a catering menu to match, please contact us on 1300 878 815.
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It’s Not Only What You Say, But How You Say It!
Most delegates attend your conference to learn and to be inspired, so the priority for us as conference producers is to design a program worth attending. An important part of designing engaging and impactful content for your conference or event is considering the physical and emotional environment you create for attendees.
You’ve pulled together an amazing line up of speakers who all have new and exciting information to impart – but don’t leave it there. Remember what your mother used to say – “It’s not only what you say, but how you say it!”
There are numerous studies that explain the psychology of learning environments better than I can, but simply put, learning is influenced by the state of mind of the learner plus ambient factors such as air temperature, music, lighting and even the chairs they sit on.
When designing the flow of your conference program and planning how you want to engage your delegates, be sure to map the delegate journey and consider ways to improve their experience every step of the way. In doing this consider two questions:
1. How can you influence their state of mind?
Think about the arrival process at a conference for delegates – it’s often hectic, disorientating, and even stressful. This can lead to people going instinctively into ‘survival mode’ and up go their defensive behaviours.
It sounds simple but take some time and think this process through. Ensure there is clear directional signage within the venue to enable them to find you without issue; if the venue is large consider personal signposts so people have someone to greet them along the way.
If appropriate for your event, consider registering delegates after they’ve had their coffee and had time to put their bags and coats on their seats. Prioritise their state of mind on arrival and make them feel welcome, relaxed and at ease because research shows that when we don’t feel threatened, we have a willingness to be open to new ideas and direction from others – creating the ideal learning environment!
This is just one example, if you focus on the delegate experience like this throughout the entire conference or event, your audience engagement will noticeably improve.
2. What ambient factors should I consider?
We’ve all experienced sitting in that session and it’s suddenly freezing, am I right? It’s distracting, and often difficult to concentrate in the same way as sitting for hours on end in uncomfortable chairs can be. These factors seem obvious but are often overlooked and form an integral part of the delegate experience.
To add to these practical considerations, consider the energy levels in the room and match the room setup to ensure maximum delegate / speaker interaction. Change the seating configuration to ensure the room feels full – or if your room has fixed seating then move people together at the beginning of the session. Try different seating arrangements such as circular rather than rows, or cabaret instead of classroom. This will raise the energy levels, and add to the experience for both the delegates and the presenters.
Other considerations for a well designed program include:
Well-timed breaks – make sure the program isn’t repetitive or running too long between breaks
Music – especially when delegates are walking in and out of sessions
A great MC – they will keep the energy levels up, make people feel welcome and manage the learning environment to ensure delegates feel included
Q&A sessions – allow ample time for delegates to ask questions, and turn it around and get your speakers or panelists to ask questions of the audience to spark conversations
Don’t forget conferences should be inspirational – they should inspire delegates to implement what they have learned by motivating and energising them. I’d encourage all event planners and conference organisers to keep looking for new and exciting ways to engage your delegates – let’s keep them coming back!
For more information on Nectar CC and how we can help improve your delegate experience at your next event, please contact us on 1300 878 815.
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