For many brands, the quality of your public relations and relationship with your community is heavily influenced by the caliber and manner of your team’s event management efforts. Both offline and online event management can play a big part in the success of your activations. From how you make the first good impression down to how you conduct community engagement—the effort you and your team put into your event planning and management can make all the difference. If you are a brand taking your first foray into event management, then this is the perfect article for you. Read on and learn what event management is, as well as the differences between various kinds of virtual events and hybrid events platforms run in our digitally-advanced landscape!
What is Event Management?
In a nutshell, event management is best defined as the efficient coordination of logistics, event flow, and other resources needed in order to get your event off the round. Examples of tasks that comprise event management would be logistical in nature, such as the scheduling the best time for your marketing activation in line with event releases or organizing the flow of your program for maximum engagement.
On the other hand, some tasks are more financial in nature such as figuring out the appropriate budget for your event or the best pricing for the admission fee should you decide that having one is necessary for the success of your event. These four tasks are just the tip of the event management iceberg when it comes to the elements that your offline or online event needs to succeed.
In this article, we break down the act of event management into actionable steps as well as some tips and tricks that the experienced event managers on our team swear by.
Steps to Successful Event Management
1. Narrow Down Your Goal
Regardless of your event type, planning can only truly begin when you decide on an objective for your event. This objective will be the main basis for your event planning—from its date to its focus, and even the people that you invite to your event. Hold a meeting with your team and get their input on what you want your event to fulfill. Below are a few guide questions that you can use to assess your objective.
a. Are we launching a new product or service?
b. Is this event meant to bring in profit?
c. Are we raising awareness for our brand?
d. What value does our event bring to its attendees?
While these are only a few of the possible questions you can discuss with your team, there is no doubt that they will spark conversation and get the discussion going for a better decision. By coming together with your team to answer these discussion starters, you can already begin to see the different directions you may need to take for your event’s management in order to fulfill your chosen objective.
2. Find Your People
Alibaba tycoon Jack Ma once said that to succeed, we need to “find the right people, not the best people.” While he may have given this advice with building a powerhouse team in mind, it also applies to making the best decisions for your event. And when it comes to finding the best chance of success for your event, sending out invites to the right people can spell all the difference.
Once you have decided on your objective, discuss with your team and find out which of your stakeholders you want to attend your upcoming event. Is it an event that is meant to build awareness and rapport with your customers? Invite some of their favorite influencers that are relevant to your product and give your target market a chance meet their idols while they get to know more about your brand!
3. Decide on a Why
If you went over your step one properly, then you know your event’s purpose. But do your guests know theirs? Decide on a why for your clients that you can focus on. By singling out a feature of your event that adds value to their experience, you can generate more buzz online by marketing it as part of your program. Not only does this boost online engagement if you incorporate it into your team’s event planning and management meetings-- you also increase your event’s chances for a higher attendance turnout. If you are unsure about what activities or factors can constitute on a value-adding experience for your guests, below are some examples.
a. Additional Learnings (via a webinar platform, talk, or panel discussion)
b. Networking Opportunities
c. Exciting Online Experiences (such as a concert or show)
The different reasons for why a guest may want to attend can vary but it pays to remember that their attendance can lead the way to eventual patronage of your brand. Whether an event is run through an online, hybrid, or in-person event platform, you should take the time to review what will make it worth attending by stepping into your customers’ shoes.
4. Pick Your When & Where
Now that you know your why and who, it is time to answer the final two Ws of your event---the When and Where. An event can only truly succeed if people actually attend, so deciding on your date, time, and venue early is integral for people to plan their agendas ahead of time. When considering your when and where, go back to your answer for who the people you want to attend are.
Assess when it is most convenient for them, and the likelihood that they can get to your event’s location. Keep in mind that you do not have to limit yourself to a physical site. With the world well on its way to becoming a fully-global village, you can open your event up to attendees from all over the globe. Give local guests a chance to attend on-site, while far-flung attendees can simply log on via a stable internet connection. Keep the people in mind as you manage your event, and you can make the best decision for the event’s availability, date, and channels.
Keep in mind that the type of event you decide to hold can dictate the strategies you need for your event, as well as the outcome that may result from those in attendance. Online events can lead to higher traction around the world, local events can build a better bond within your community. Remember to choose wisely so you can maximize the results you desire most.
What is Online Event Management, and How is It Different?
Online event management is a type of event management that requires you to manage the logistics and planning of your event while hosting it via an online platform. While there may be a difference in the manner of attendance, the advice and steps we gave you will hold true for any event you host. Whether you opt for an online activity or a hybrid one, so long as you remember your who, what, when, where, and why, we are sure that your event will be a massive success.
We hope that you enjoyed reading this short guide to event management, and that it can help your brand with getting its own activations off the ground. Connecting with your stakeholders is a step in the right direction if you want your brand to see success, so we hope that you can put your newfound knowledge to good use in your future events!
Interested in our solution?
You may want to have a chat with our event consultant.