Strategy
Start with strategy and only spend with purpose
From scepticism to support: Amelia Parmiter, strategist at London-based event management company, Event Concept explains how strategy changes the event conversation
ately, I’ ve been hearing the
L same frustration come up time and time again in client conversations and industry roundtables: how difficult it has become for event teams to secure buy-in from internal stakeholders. Increasingly, those who control the budgets need to see a tangible event approach that can prove ROI in alignment with the wider business vision.
A big part of the problem is that the purpose and value of events – both for those that host them and for those that attend – are often misunderstood. They’ re still too easily dismissed as a cost centre, with little understanding around the tangible business impact they can drive. And, in a climate where CFOs and CEOs are actively searching for efficiencies, any spend without a clearly articulated purpose is at risk. So, event professionals have been left feeling like they’ re constantly fighting an uphill battle to earn the internal support and financial backing they need.
But there’ s a smarter way to win this war. Stop jumping straight into logistics and execution, and start with strategy. A shared understanding of why an event exists, and what it will be designed to shift or achieve, is where stakeholder buy-in begins.
Find your common ground Events don’ t sit on the edges of a
Above: Amelia Parmiter
“ Can you link your event to an uptick in client conversations, stronger employee sentiment, deeper alignment among teams or increased brand advocacy across key audiences?” business; they sit within a wider ecosystem of brand, culture, and commercial priorities.
We, therefore, must consider how every experience, event or moment of engagement feeds into those objectives. Even a Christmas party is more than just a celebration – it strengthens belonging and reinforces culture. Those outcomes influence employee retention and productivity long after the festive season ends.
This is particularly important when it comes to exhibitions, which are often viewed as transactional or tactical by default. Without a clearly articulated purpose, they’ re often reduced to just a stand and a footfall figure, making it difficult for stakeholders to see the bigger picture.
So, before discussing formats or venues, organisations need to align on the core purpose of the event. What should it achieve? How should people and clients think, feel or behave differently afterwards? And what wider marketing or business objectives should it support? This unified approach then becomes the strategic anchor for every decision that follows and inspires confidence that the event will deliver tangible value.
Crucially, key stakeholders must be involved in this conversation from the start. Different teams often come with different pressures and expectations, so finding common ground is essential. Bringing them into the conversation early creates a sense of shared ownership, and when people see their objectives considered and woven into the strategy, they’ re far more likely to support the decisions – and the investment – that follow.
Measure what matters This strategic alignment in turn enables measurement to become far more meaningful. Senior leaders respond best when impact is communicated in their language: hard numbers and tangible evidence. But not all evidence carries equal weight, and what really
36 Issue 1 2026 www. exhibitionworld. co. uk