This event planning article focuses on the occasionally problematic world of finding and working with great event contractors and suppliers. Getting this right is a key event planning skill. So how do you ensure you select great event contractors? All of us, including myself, will have stories to tell about contractors that haven’t quite delivered!! The ‘how to’ of event contractor heaven There is every chance you’ll need to hire contractors (suppliers/vendors: stages, venues, Audiovisuals, Lighting, Stewards, Marquees etc.) to complete your events. They are part of your event team…. [Read More]
10 must do activities to undertake…BEFORE you press the event planning button!
Have you ever attended an event that really did not deliver? They were pleasant enough…just not a great use of your time and money. Well you are not alone. Over these past few years I dread to think how much private, corporate, community, public and charity money has been spent on events that didn’t deliver. Too many events are planned with little thought given as to whether they should have actually been run in the first place. In short no pre event business planning activities were undertaken. In my many… [Read More]
How to select the perfect event name
There are no hard and fast rules but getting the right event name is important. So what’s in a name – actually quite a lot as I am sure a lot of businesses will testify. The same I believe is true of what you call your events. This blog is not targeted at the big event players who have budgets to match but more at those event managers who need to make an immediate impression and don’t have a large promotional budget. Getting it right first time is imperative: as… [Read More]
12 event customer touch points event planners must get right
Let me ask you a question. Do you know what your event customer journey (from interested party to satisfied delegate) is really like? So, what’s it like being on the receiving end of your attempts to ‘sign them up’ to your event and then give them a great event experience? There are indeed 12 event customer touch points event planners need to get right. I was listening to a marketer speak about customer touch points the other day, which got me thinking about the world of events and in particular… [Read More]
Feeling under powered: running out of steam at an event? So might your audience!
Who doesn’t want to put on a good spread of food at their events? Your events catering is part of the programme. You’ve no doubt had the conversation about exactly what food you should provide at your events. Will it create the right impression: as you don’t want to be seen as scrimping on the food front? Now do you! So what events catering should you provide…can be one of those tricky event planning conversations…where competing views are a plenty. However for all those newbie, occasional or accidental event managers… [Read More]
13 key traits of an inspirational event manager
There are indeed easier things in life to do than run an event. They are complex things that require event managers to demonstrate a range of organisational and leadership skills. In this blog I want to focus on the leadership skills an event manager should demonstrate and or seek to acquire. Successful events are nearly always a team effort and to get the best result ( a great event ) your event teams need to well lead: by you the event manager. Here are my 13 traits of an inspirational… [Read More]