Events done differently: Issue 8
Rob Woodhead
Dad to two, husband to one, outdoor lover, stoic thinker and experienced CEO and business leader.
We recently ran a very useful webinar packed with insights on how to Elevate your Exhibitions. If you didn’t manage to catch it live, catch up with it now on demand. If you were there, you’ll know that to drive great exhibition engagement, you need to be attracting and engaging your prospects weeks or even months before then – and if you don’t, you can be sure your competitors will.
So, when does your event or exhibition actually start? (hint: it’s not when the doors open)
Your event most definitely doesn’t start on the day itself. You need to engage with your audience long before the exhibition doors open. You need to create a cognitive shift to put your brand front and centre of their minds so that they are excited to come and see you.
So, what we are going to do to attract the right people to the stand? What’s the pull? Why should they want to come and spend their valuable time with us rather than ‘them’? We look at how to drive up your exhibition engagement starting well before the actual event, the concept of 'Lumpy Mail', and more in our latest article.
The power of user-generated content
Today the Holy Grail of any social media strategy is to gain organic, authentic, user-generated content to really deliver your message. So how do you create something that makes people get their phones out, something spectacular and share-worthy so that they record themselves and share with all their followers? Find out in our latest blog 'The power of user-generated content'.
Shake up your space and disrupt the norm
I’m sure most of you are seasoned exhibition goers – either as an attendee or exhibitor. You go to the same events year on year – and so do your competitors. And how many times do you see the same old stands, all doing the same things with nothing much to distinguish one from another? We see it all the time, but we know that with a bit of imagination and innovation, you could offer your visitors an outstanding experience, way beyond their expectations. If your exhibition stands are stuck in a rut, could it be time to shake up your exhibition space and create something much more memorable?
Earlier this month, most of our team was abroad in sunny Mallorca helping the SharkNinja team to deliver their very first EMEA Launch Event.
The two-day event was a chance to showcase the exciting range of new SharkNinja products coming up in 2024 to a selected group of VIPs. So, we realised the only way to do it was to take over the stunning Melia Palma Marina hotel and create a whole host of surprising and delightful moments for guests, from pop-up SharkBeauty salons to demonstrating outdoor ovens on the hotel terrace, and even an ultra sneak peek at their new product development plans…
With influencers, press and retail partners attending from all over Europe and further afield, there were a lot of people to juggle with plenty to see, explore and eat. Thankfully, their guests were incredibly happy with the event and left feeling like they’d experienced a little bit of SharkNinja luxury in Mallorca.
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Our ESG commitments for 2024
Working alongside the wonderful team isla we're committing ourselves to doing even more to ensure our events reduce or offset our carbon emissions. Our sustainability champion Ellie Flynn presented back to the team our company sustainability goals for 2024 and beyond...
Our goals for 2024 include:
?? Tracking and reporting carbon emissions for all our events
?? Providing Isla sustainability training to the entire team
?? Tracking travel requirements for all events and reducing where possible
?? Reusing, repurposing, recycling or donating as many event items as possible
?? Aligning our sustainability values with our suppliers and partners
Sustainability is a big issue and one all of us need to be aware of, so we will continue to do our bit to ensure our events as sustainably responsible. We'll provide updates on these are other goals throughout the year.
Paying it forward through mentoring
Floss Clifford our Creative Director, dedicates her spare time to mentoring female business owners and women in the events and hospitality industry. We asked her what some of her experiences have been throughout the years and why she takes time out to do this.
Here's what Floss had to say.
"Mentoring is probably one of the most rewarding & pay-it-forward experiences I've been a part of. I think there's something about people championing people that just reminds us what's important in life."
You can read more about Floss's experience mentoring here.
simplybetter ?
experts in innovation
At simplybetter, we specialise in disrupting old, traditional approaches to events. We know what it takes to elevate your events and exhibitions, so we design and deliver creative event experiences, harnessing new, innovative ways to create better engagement, to stand out from the crowd and to increase the value of every event you undertake.
Check out our knowledge hub for ideas, inspiration and expert advice on delivering ingenious events and unconventional conventions. If we’ve sparked your interest, get in touch for a chat about your next event.