In the recently published September / October issue of InPublishing magazine (not on our mailing list? Register here), we ran an Events Special, containing eight articles from leading publishers and suppliers.
On Wednesday, 13 November, we are holding an ‘Events Special - Q&A’ webinar in which all the contributors will be available to answer your questions. Click here for more information and to register.
In the issue, each contributor gave us three top tips. To whet your appetite, I have picked out one from each:
Make sure you, or your logistics partner, have a plan B, C and D. You never know exactly what is around the next corner, so you need contingency plans for every eventuality. (Best practice: Logistics, by Lenka Booker, strategy & transformation director at Air Business)
Create magic moments. One of the most effective ways to make your consumer show stand out is by creating magic moments that surprise and delight your audience. These can be unexpected elements or experiences that leave a lasting impression and get people talking about your show long after it’s over. Whether it’s a money can’t buy experience with talent, an interactive workshop, or a unique giveaway, these moments can generate excitement and buzz and ensure attendees will talk about your event. Great creative ideas and a sense of fun are key to crafting these memorable experiences. (Staging a successful consumer show, by Rachael Bosshardt, event director (food & festivals) at Immediate Live)
Ensure that you have a fast and effective badge-printing and / or ticket validation solution at the entrance to your event. Nobody likes queues. (Best practice: Registration / Ticketing, by Steve Russell, client services director at Fusion)
Evolve more frequently, changing as rapidly as your customer. Tweaks to the proposition are essential, so rewrite your business plan frequently. The plan needs to start from what is happening in the market, what that means for your exhibitors / visitors, and what that means for your show. (Staging a successful trade show, by Tim Willoughby, managing director of MA Exhibitions)
Create a community not just an audience. (Best practice: Audience / Community, by Mark Sullivan, business development director at gther)
Be diverse and inclusive. Make sure your speaker line-up and networking opportunities reflect a broad and diverse audience. (Staging a successful conference, by Simone Broadhurst, group event director at emap)
Plan your go-to-market strategy for the event in detail, break down the revenue streams and define targets and approaches for each. (Best practice: Sales / Sponsorship, by John Cheney, CEO & founder of Workbooks CRM)
Think longer term and create a profitable model so that you can continue to build and develop your awards in the future. (Staging a successful awards, by Charlotte Mann, head of events at TTG Media)
The good news is that there are 16 more top tips to benefit from in their articles — click the links above to read them.
You can catch James Evelegh’s regular column in the InPubWeekly newsletter, which you can register to receive here.
