Day 22: Strategy versus tactics

So now is the time that we step back and review our strategy. Is the ship even pointed in the direction? What tactics need to be implemented to ensure that it's going where it's supposed to go? So today's post is to review and realign.

Strategy check

Why are we doing this event?

• The way we host and attend events has changed and we miss the hallway conversations, the continental breakfast chat, and the meaningful connections that happen serendipitously. We want to explore dialogues and formats that bring back the human interaction, intertwining online training and development with real conversation to help us continue to grow as event and marketing professionals.
• We also wanted to provide an opportunity for event professionals across the industry to have the opportunity to be part of creating a virtual event to build their skills and their portfolio.

Who is it for?

• Professionals who execute or partake in events to drive business (to include corporate marketers, association professionals, freelancers, suppliers, and hoteliers).

What will they get out of it?

• Content and conversation to help you navigate what’s missing when human connection is limited.
• Solutions to help people and organizations create a 3D connection in a 2D world.

What will the outcomes be?

• Participants can learn how to level up their events, job skills, business, and personal development because they will be part of the conversation. They can refill their heart and mind, build their resume, learn best practices, and (perhaps most importantly) meet people that they can genuinely connect with.
• We will create a best practices and advice document from the sessions, speakers, and participants.
• We will try at least 5 never-before-tried things to push the envelope!

So after reviewing the strategy above, I think we are perfectly in line. All of our efforts roll up nicely to each of the stated goals and objectives.

So now the tactics:

Content: All formats and conversation fit nicely into our stated objectives. We have everything from screen presence to virtual event effectiveness to event ROI to field events to experiences to resume reviews to sessions to help solopreneurs to Zumba to Tarot cards to just plain-old watercooler chats!

Communications: We have some work to do here to make this incredible, and a lot of that is on me to physically design and send the email blasts after team members give me the content for them. But that all starts now!

Metrics and reporting: Admittedly, we're struggling a bit with the metrics. Since this isn't a company sales event or an association membership drive, we don't have any sophisticated tracking needs. We did establish a couple of KPIs that we want to hit:

• 2,000 paid participants (Stretch goal: 4,500)
• 5 Never-before-done experiences
• 1 Magazine cover
• 10 Career connections (people who get jobs from the connections/coaching they get)
• 200 HD YouTube subscribers
• 2 new HD clients

Participants: Now that the marketing is hitting, speakers are sharing, and the press is beginning to cover it, we'll start our daily tracking of registrants. We're at 88 right now (and 32 of those are our volunteers and staff!). My theory is that most people will register a week out, thereby giving me and the planning team a big heart attack as we wonder if anyone will come to the event... but stay tuned as we track the daily registration numbers and let's see what that coveted "hockey stick effect" looks like for a virtual conference, shall we?

That's all for tonight!

Here's how you can get involved in this journey with us:

• Watch our progress: Daily LinkedIn updates (like a journal!)
• See it get created: You can watch our twice-weekly planning meetings live on our YouTube Channel (subscribe to get notified when we go live)
• Join in the process: You can join the Age of Conversation Slack channel and be part of the creation of this event
• Register for the event: The Age of Conversation Summit, September 9th!
• JOIN THE 6-WEEK CHALLENGE: What will you accomplish over the next 6 weeks? (join the Slack channel to make your commitment!)

Liz Lathan, CMP is co-founder and CEO of Haute Dokimazo, a "spontaneous think tank” company that empowers participants to solve their business challenges through conversation fueled by the wisdom of peers. Haute Dokimazo is part of Haute Companies, a family of companies anchored in human connection, from events to media (podcasts, videos, and more) to direct mail to swag to entertainment talent management to strategy session facilitation.

Haute Dokimazo is partnering with QiqoChat to create The Age of Conversation Summit on September 9, 2020 to bring conversation back to the digital world.