Here's the dilemma: They need you to take charge of planning an event, but you have no experience in event management planning and somehow this duty has been placed on your shoulders.
RELAX. We're here to help 😉
Many organizations don't have a specific person dedicated to event marketing management. However, an event can make or break a campaign. Here are some helpful tips to help you from the planning process to the big day.
1) Plan your event on a whiteboard
No matter what type of event you are planning, you need to map out a strategy.
-What is the goal of your event?
-Are you introducing a new product or service to customers?
-Do you have a demo of the event, or past events?
Whether your end goal is to get in front of influencers or to present to a group of executives, you will want to put a strategy on the whiteboard. Look at your ideal audience, which message will resonate with them and how you are going to measure the results.
Remember, you will have no idea whether your event was a flop or a blessing unless you have the right metrics.
2) Event budget
Once you have outlined your goals, you need to consider how much it will cost to achieve them.
Personally, at United Events I make a list of the price of every item I need for an event to happen.
This may include
-Posters
-Invitations
-A new website
-Food
-Drinks
-Music
-Gifts
-Entertainment for the guests
etc.
Think about the events you have attended and imagine all the little things that were involved. What do you absolutely need, and what can you live without? Make a checklist and start building an overall price.
3) A time and place for every event
Are you hosting executives or managers? Is it a presentation or a mixer? Is this event part of your demand generation or brand awareness strategy?
The answer to these questions should determine when and where your event takes place.
If you are targeting busy executives, for example, you will want to plan an elegant breakfast.
A networking event is best served in the evening with cocktails.
A presentation feels forced in a bar; it is better to hold that kind of event in a hotel or conference room.
Keep in mind how our surroundings influence our attention span and the type of message we expect to hear.
4) Iterating on your event invitations
Your event invitation is one of the most important aspects of the whole planning process. You do not want to send the first invitation too early or too late.
Three weeks before the event would be about right, but if you want to get into executives' calendars, you may want to send it even earlier. A more detailed and elaborate invitation is appropriate for a dinner event, but you may want to be simpler and more direct if you are presenting a demo. Include directions, including access by public transport. Make it easy to be an attendee.
You will also want to segment your guest list. Marketing automation can be a great help here. An invitation to the analyst event will simply clutter a CMO's inbox. And you will want to follow up. Those who have confirmed their attendance should receive reminders that differ in timing and message from those who have not.
5) Back to the Future IV
Visit the venue the day before your event. Imagine how you want attendees to experience the event.
What signs need to be in place to avoid confusion?
Where should you place the staff?
Basically, you want to understand what your guests will see from the moment they enter the venue until they reach the registration table for the actual event. Feel things out. And the only way to anticipate how your event will feel is to go to the event before it happens, in your guests' shoes.