Can Design Thinking be Applied to Event Planning?

By Gregg J. Herning, Chief Sales Officer of ACCESS Destination Services

YES ... only if you want your event to be memorable and effective. And, it doesn't happen by accident.

Recently, I attended a major hospitality industry event. Great care, and expense, was put into selecting a world-class venue for this annual meeting. The setting was spectacular. A grassy park-like outdoor venue overlooking the ocean. Raw bar buffets strewn meticulously about offering just about anything a seafood lover was hankering for. Perfectly adorned servers, strung party lights so that the industry kick-off party could go into the early evening. Not a detail was overlooked.

EXCEPT ONE. As the president of this organization took the stage, I noticed immediately that he was far too detached from the crowd. The stage was located appropriately for the band that would perform later that night ... but it is NOT the place that the president should be directed to address his guests. I saw a disaster brewing ... and it happened. As the president took his place on stage to address his members and guests - and offer up a hint of what would take place over the next few days .... NOBODY was watching. NOBODY could hear what he was saying. NOBODY stopped talking among their assigned tables. To add insult to injury ... the president's opening words were about "connecting with one another". It was sad.

The question is: how did this happen - and who was responsible for this lapse in planning?

Well, we can spread the blame around for sure. This was a scenario that I see far too often in our industry. A group of very experienced and talented "event specialists" were too focused on providing an aesthetically pleasing venue, and didn't take the time to discuss what was really the main reason of the gathering: the president's welcome. This was an opportunity lost and very embarrassing at that.

Having spent the majority of my career in luxury convention hotels .. I would place a portion of the blame on the facility, its convention services department and the assigned audio visual department for not catching this blunder before it happened. And the organization's planning staff ... yep ... this was a major no-no. Job Security 101 .. don't embarrass the boss.

WHAT IF ... the president would have made his opening remarks miked up from a Segway as he meandered through what looked like a large company picnic? Or stepped up on one of the many picnic tables within the attendees and delivered his message "Town Hall" style through a megaphone? You get the picture. NOBODY remembered to plan this integral part of the evening's program, yet it was in fact, the most important element of the night.

If Design Thinking were part of the planning team's protocol, the process would have systematically reviewed EVERY element of the evening and posed the question: "how can we make this element of the event better than last year?". Sadly, this was not done, and so lost forever was the opportunity to impress and to be memorable.

The science of Design Thinking is being discussed in leading corporations all over the world today. It is providing the basis of cultural change and high-powered thinking by senior leadership encouraging all to "unlearn" and "relearn" old tricks. Proven processes and SOP's are going back to the "idea lab" for a fresh perspective on how everything, every aspect can be improved upon.

Does your organization employ a form of Design Thinking when planning and organizing company events, trade shows, and corporate meetings? If not ... I have a few great ideas that I would like to share with you. Contact me at: [email protected]