Business First September 2017 Northern Ireland Conference Guidebook 2018 | Page 4

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How do you make your event stand out among the rest?
IN ANY EVENT…
Creating a winning event strategy
by Jane Watson, Events Director,
Morrow Communications.
osting an event is a significant
tool in your communications box
and is one which should fit
seamlessly into your overarching
business or marketing strategy. But how
do you make your event stand out among
the rest?
H
You must start by investing time and
resources on developing a strategy that
will deliver events with value and
purpose, rather than just hosting the
event for the ‘sake’ of it.
Whether you are targeting an internal
audience, external stakeholders or trying
to reach the general public, an event -
when executed in line with your
organisation’s vision and aim - can leave
a lasting and memorable impact on your
guests.
They take time, money and a lot of effort
so it’s important to ensure that they
deliver the results you want.
That’s where an event management
company can support you – they should
not take over, nor claim the credit, but
instead act as an extension of your own
team, understanding your aims, and how
best to bring this to life through an events
platform.
“Event managers are at the
forefront of innovative event
technology and can help you
decide what format will best suit
you.” Jane Watson
Ours is to reason why !
When considering any event, engagement
and purpose is key. From industry
conferences and business seminars to
awards ceremonies and employee
evenings, considering the all important
‘why’ question is paramount.
If there is a clear rationale and purpose,
then and only then you should consider
the ‘how’.
How best to engage with audiences, how
best to make it memorable and how best
to capture the results you are after.
Managing and delivering a successful
event demands a very particular skillset
which combines strategic and creative
thinking with operational and technical
delivery.
As well as considering its purpose, you
must be able to negotiate with vendors
and venues, organise AV and speakers,
manage invites and be able to deal with
often competing aims and interests if
other parties are involved.
Bringing in event expertise from the get-
go will help deliver positive and often
measurable return on your investment.
Lights, camera, technology!
‘Death by PowerPoint’ is still far too often
a fall back for organisations, particularly
those not confident or experienced at
running events.
Strong event managers should be at the
forefront of innovative event technology
and can help you decide what format will
work best to suit your audience and
content. They will even be able to make
best use of PowerPoint if necessary.
New audience interaction tools such as
Slido have helped change the dynamics of
event formats. Accessed via a browser on
a Smartphone – it lets guests take part in
live polls, submit questions for speakers
and can host presentations and delegate
information.
Likewise, video content used properly –
featuring customers, industry experts or
even your own staff - can effectively and
creatively communicate your message
succinctly and with more impact.
continued on page 6