Event success strategies

 I am currently floating on cloud 9 after my 5th Annual Stilettos and Strategies Women’s Conference this weekend!  While it was not without mishaps and unpredictable occurrences, it was successful because the objective was met, the tickets sold out,  the feedback was positive, and the budget was in the black. Now, this may not mean much to you, but to me it is everything.  
 
I know that many think that because I am an event planner, I have all the answers and never experience hiccups. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, the hardest thing for an event planner to do is plan their own event.  Some of it is because we are not our clients and we are not working with the same level of budget that our high ends clients entrust to us. 
 
W also e don’t give ourselves the same time and energy that we give to our paying clients.  We give them so much time that we rush our tasks because we have limited hours to apply the same level of focus to our project when we have 9 other irons in the fire that have the power to make our break our reputation and livelihood. But, I still managed to pull off an amazing event that truly touched and transformed the hearts of all who attended.  So, I want to share my secrets to success to anyone that may have had challenges getting the attendance they desired and the event flow down to science.
 
Having a successful in-person event requires a little more work than a webinar, meeting, happy hour, or pop up mixer, but they are much more meaningful and fun. Sure, they take a bit of planning, but if you follow these tips you’ll be well on your way to a sold out function.
 

1. Have a Clear Objective – Your first need is to have a clear objective for the event. What are you doing? For Who? And Why? That is the only way you can successfully market it to an audience who will listen as well as potential venture partners and sponsors. People can see when something is well considered, well planned, well liked or not.
2. Find Local & Like Minded Partners – A joint venture partner (or two or three) can help you pull off a much larger and well attended event than if you did it all alone. The partners should be people who offer complementary services or offer a unique version of your objective or goal. Chemistry and shared values are key in this area for a successful collaboration.  And, the partnership should and must be mutually beneficial.
3. Seek Help From An Event Planner – Even though this is my full time gig and business, you too should truly benefit from the vast connections in the entertainment and event industry to make your event memorable and profitable. The cost of an event planner is more than worth it when you consider all the little things that need to be done to ensure your event goes smoothly. An experienced event planner can actually save you money by helping prevent costly mistakes, and negotiate the best rates for potential venues.
4. Recruit Volunteers – Once you know that the event is going to happen and you’ve sold a few tickets, it’s time to recruit some volunteers. The best volunteers are those who have signed up for information about your event but for whatever reason cannot afford to go. So make sure to outline simple tasks that a volunteer would love to fulfill for a chance to attend for free.  Check in, door prize drawing, greeters, and presentation assistants are great options.
5. Market Everywhere – Market wherever your audience lives, plays, works and socializes. Your marketing should be directed and specific in order to get a good response. You can have live broadcasts, webinars, articles, blog posts, flyers, social media ads and more to promote your event. Everyone involved should be promoting the event with these methods so that their time and energy is shared with the largest number of participants. Also, remember consider advertising your event in the local paper, church bulletins, e-newsletters, meeting announcements, HOA publications, professional organization meetings, and personal phone call invitations to attract new people who might not find you online.
6. Collect Leads – During your marketing, find ways to engage the people you already know because the people you market to that you have a relationship with directly are more likely to sign up for your event than people who find your information in other ways.
7. Seek Small and Large Sponsorships – If you can land a well-known sponsor for your event it will make your event seem even more impressive when you say “sponsored by xyz corporation” if that corporation or entity is well known and trusted by your audience. If you can not secure a big sponsor contribution, search your rolodex and reach out to local businesses and independent contractors to see if they’d be willing to sponsor a ticket, or your event programs, or balloons, or coffee, or whatever you need for the event. You will be surprised and how many people actually support your vision when you can clearly articulate it and allow them a platform to be recognized and sough after.
8. Choose the Right Venue – One of the most important decisions you’ll make is where your even will occur. Ensure that the space is right for the size of your event. You don’t want people to feel too crowded, or like they are swallowed up by the venue. You also want the style of the event to fit in with the style your audience has in terms of them worrying about what to wear and how to present themselves. For me, I prefer modern, intimate spaces, with free parking, easy access, reasonable rates, with over night accommodations and no hourly limitations. 
9. Get Technical Help – Even if you’re great with technology, monitors, computers, microphones, you really want someone else to take care of these issues. You want to be a personality at the event, not the technical person because it will take away from some of the fun for you. You’ll have enough things to do as it is. This year, I did not seek the technical help and did sabotage my own presentation by focusing more on the visual and not the audience.
10. Practice the Performance – Your intro, your icebreaker, activities,  speech, the order of the talks, the format, the schedule,  the use of the technology and so forth needs to be completed on site at the event location when possible to avoid any issues with lighting, technology or even walking up a step or two to get to the podium. This will make you all look more professional and avoid mishaps. The more you prepare the easier it is for you to adapt to changes in the flow for unforeseen reasons.
11. Test Technology – It’s been mentioned more than once in this list, but that’s how important it is. You should ask speakers to send you a copy of their presentation prior to the event so that if something happens you’ll have a copy, they’ll have a copy, and put a copy in the cloud just in case. But do not assume the internet will work. Have back up plans always. 
12. Allow for Breaks – Don’t forget to put realistic breaks into your event so that your participants do not get too fatigued or uncomfortable. Even interesting talks can put people to sleep if they are uncomfortable, hungry, or need to use the restroom.
13. Ensure that the Temperature is Comfortable – A very important component of a successful event is how the environment feels to the participants. You don’t want it to be too cold or too warm in the location. If there is an issue, ask it to be fixed on behalf of your guests BEFORE it becomes noticeable and a poor reflection of your event.​
14. Serve Healthy Food – It’s tempting to go crazy and serve heavy food that will shock and awe the participants but you really want them to focus on your message and not their full and possibly sick and over fed stomachs. Give options for different types of people. You can survey those who purchased a ticket to ensure the food choice fits most people. This year, I provided a baked potato bar with choice of BBQ smoked chicken and beef, with a garden salad, cookies, and brownies. It was accommodating to all dietary preferences, appealing to the eye, and cost effective. Choose wisely and appropriately.

 
Good planning and plenty of forethought will only help you to reach your event related goals.  More importantly, it will show your guests how much you value you them and respect their time shared with you.  If planning events makes you break out in a cold sweat, head on over to my company Esyntial Elements at esyntialelements.com (@esyntialelements) and schedule a FREE consultation. 
 
Love & Light
Nu