Event Planning Tips

Nothing is certain when it comes to event planning – the disruption of the past two years have emphasised this. The pandemic showed just how quickly trading situations can change with events suddenly becoming virtual before returning to in-person and hybrid styles. Train strikes, airport problems, communication difficulties as well as the ever-present need to consider that some people may still be shielding continue to have an effect on the event industry.

Marketeers and event planners have had to learn from the experiences of the past two years. Above all it has resulted in a greater focus on the need to personalising events since one in four consumers changed buying methods during Covid when a personalized experience was not provided. Research carried out by Mckinsey has shown that more than 70% of buyers now expect personalized interaction.

Demand Gen’s 2022 Demand Generation Benchmark Survey noted that over a third of marketeers now regard virtual events and digital experiences as a key engagement tactic set to become increasingly important. Many marketeers are exploring ways of increasing their involvement in digital and hybrid events. Research showed that over 86% of B2B participants were still experiencing a positive result from hybrid events seven months after an event was held. Not surprisingly, companies were planning to increase the number of the number of hybrid events being held each year.

So what can event organisers learn from this when it comes to physical events?

It is important to translate the benefits of virtual events into physical settings. Greater attention has to be paid to ways of enabling people to link into events remotely from anywhere in the world. This widens potential audience numbers as well as extending speaker options, making it easier to obtain access to people who cannot visit in person.

It has become important for event organisers to match up sessions and content from registration onwards. Providing personalized content and experiences in a variety of formats is becoming essential, whether in person or via a screen.

Maximising use of QR codes during events helps develop this personalisation of a product offer. It can encourage networking and data capture.

Explore ways of encouraging audience participation. It makes people feel instantly more engaged. Typical activities can include the provision of Solution Rooms where visitors can seek peer-supported advice, or human spectrograms in which questions have to be answered by moving to different areas of the room.

Lighting talks are a brilliant way of encouraging participants to follow up their participation as well as maintaining their interest throughout. Each talk lasts only a short time – but throws up multiple ideas.

Being responsive to participant requirements when it comes to events and conferences encourages people to take part, resulting in a much greater event success rate no matter what the future holds.