Tips for creating a winning events strategy from Daniel Curtis, Chief Strategy Officer, emc3.

To create a “winning” events strategy, the first thing required is a definition of success, which is agreed on by all interested parties.

As the agency our job, in the most simplified sense, is to help our clients achieve their goals, but often, those goals are not explicitly defined before the event brief or RFP is sent out into the world. Any internal misalignment which is passed onto the agency will result in wasted time, miscommunication, dreaded re-briefing, and a general sense of frustration. In our position as an external objective partner, we are able to collate the ideas, hopes and dreams of our clients and help them sharpen up their brief/s to include clearly defined KPIs and goals. Once this is done, we can start work, but to do so preemptively is to court trouble.

Once we are working on a project, one of the key challenges becomes keeping all departments in sync so that they are all pulling in the same direction. If we are the sole partner, then this is relatively simple. Our department heads will have regular core team meetings to make sure that design, production, content, logistics, etc., are all updating each other as the scope shifts or external factors change the focus. There are sometimes occasions when we are working alongside other agencies or with the client’s own internal resources and, in this instance, the quality of those relationships and communication channels with our counterparts are the deciding factor in the success of the event.?

Another important consideration is the audience. The more information we have on audience expectations, as well as feedback from past events, the more we can fine-tune the little details which make all the difference.?

For example, we were tasked with delivering a conference for a new client for about 2,500 PAX, which had the usual set-up of a general session, breakouts, expo, networking space and off-site dinners. We designed a networking space with lounge seating, which could also be used for meals and breaks so that we could make the expo space "sticky", which was one of their goals. When we delivered our first design, the client pushed back on the lounge seating, as they believed their attendees always expected to sit at a more formal table for their meals. We redesigned the space to have a mixture of lounge seating and round tables, as we wanted to see if this was actually the case or if this was just what they were used to. When the show went live, we surveyed the space to see which areas were more popular, and now we know that while some of their audience prefer formal seating, a large proportion of them are open to change. This data point is priceless in building a clear vision for next year's event.

It is essential that due time and attention is given to collecting and analysing feedback on all areas of the process, from the briefing, through pre-production and delivery. Every area of the event and every decision could be improved but without an open and honest conversation about them, mistakes and misconceptions can be baked into the next year's event.