BEST PRACTICE
expectations MERGING
To ensure your event provides what delegates are looking for while delivering exceptional returns and value for clients and sponsors, The Meetings & Event Planner looks at how best to align these objectives to overall success.
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ttendance is one of the greatest determining factors in substantiating the success of an event, along with ROI. For this reason, drawing in delegates is crucial. But beyond being a one-hit wonder, how does an event grow and develop into a highly soughtafter experience where there is regular and repeated demand? If we were to consider the principles of search engine optimisation, the top hit would attempt to best answer the question the user has asked, failing which, they move on to the next response. Events are no different – if a delegate did not have the experience they were
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looking for, they will likely not bother attending the next event or share this with anyone else, and quite possibly seek out an alternative. However, if an event delivers on its promise and exceeds all expectations, it can leave an indelible impression on your attendees that keeps them coming back for more.
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN PURPOSE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Every event will have a purpose and this, says The Events Calendar, will inform your goals and objectives. “Before you begin crafting your specific goals and objectives, spend some time considering
your purpose. Your purpose is the big-picture objective that should guide all of your business decisions – maybe your purpose is to advocate for a certain group of people, or to promote a particular political agenda, or to bring educational opportunities to your community.” It might seem like a waste of time to frame purpose, goals and objectives so specifically but clearly stating these objectives carries more weight than we currently give it credit for. In the Harvard MBA Business School Study on Goal Setting, it was found that 10 years after graduating, 3% of Harvard MBA graduates who wrote down their goals ended up making 10 times as much as the other 97% combined. While event planners and organisers might not have the same ability to produce these types of insights in the longer term, establishing clearly defined goals has proven to be effective. Finally, within this ecosystem, your objectives will form the basis of the plan that is implemented to achieve your event