Using Events to Stand Out
A Dose of Sass
By Steve Kemble
THE EVENTS SIDE OF OUR INDUSTRY HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT NEGLECTED BY MPI.
Events are a major component of many meetings and conferences as well as a welcome and refreshing activity for the attendees. Many people think of events just as play time; however, work with event professionals and they would be glad to monitor the ROI and more on events hosted. In my opinion, events are very much marketing tools. Whether you’re launching a new product or thanking clients for the relationship they have with your company or non-profit association, event professionals are able to deliver events that not only showcase products brilliantly but also deliver the coveted ROI that we all need in order to be able to continue to produce events as well as meetings. Event professionals today are very skilled and knowledgeable with many creative ideas to help market and showcase products. Remember, we eat and breathe events daily, so we have seen many things that work and some that honestly don’t.
By producing ROI, this will ensure that events are taken more seriously, be given appropriate budget dollars and continue as an annual stand-alone function or a part of annual conferences for years to come. I encourage you to think of events in the marketing sense. A good event does not necessarily have to have a theme to be successful; your brand, in all reality, can be your theme.
What many of us are aggressively working on now is to change the perception of events—that they are marketing tools not just parties. By supporting each other in our efforts to help change the perception of events, we will only make our association as well as our industry stronger and more credible. One way to do this is to make the brand the theme. Without a theme (island, movies, under the sea, etc.) per say, you are taking away and eliminating some of the fluff and stuff which is being seen less in these economic times. Build the event around the components that make the product stand out and original. For example, use gobo projections of the logo; produce a video (remember, videos don’t always have to have sound blaring) that tells the story of the brand and project it on giant screens or wall surfaces as wallpaper; possibly have food stations or buffets that are representative of the areas of the world where the company does business; or use interactive stations that creatively display your product.
I also encourage you to think of event planners as professionals who are very versed in marketing and can help you achieve your goals and deliver strong ROI. Within the last five years, I have seen the events industry (through sister organizations such as the International Special Events Society and others) become more professional. This is not only refreshing but is giving greater credibility to the events world. People are taking events more seriously, because they know there are professionals producing them. We currently have many members within the association that are suppliers to several of your great gatherings and meetings, and it is our job to ensure that they, too, are getting the appropriate education and other resources to produce events in the best manner possible. I would love your feedback so that I may continue to pass this on to the powers that be. Please know I am serious when I say they are listening. One+
STEVE KEMBLE has been the magic behind countless international events for more than 20 years, from celebrating NFL players' accomplishments to organizing parties for two presidents. Follow him at www.adoseofsass.com or on Twitter @stevekemblechat.