What's the Right Type of Event for You?

By: abbeyharrison Tuesday October 1, 2019 comments Tags: Event, events, Event Planning

Events have really grown in popularity over the last five years. I attribute it to the fact that there is a lot of noise right now, and to build trust with your audience – it helps to connect with them in person. However, a poorly planned or executed event won’t do you much good. Let’s chat about what goes into picking the right event for you and your business.

 

Examine Your Timing

 

Timing can make or break your event. There are actually two aspects to consider when scheduling your event.

 

Date of Your Event

 

I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me a genuinely heart-breaking story about their poorly timed event. All of that work and effort put into planning something BIG, only to have little to no attendees. This can be devastating and, frequently, keeps business owners from planning future, potentially successful, events.

 

1. Time of Year – While true anywhere, Colorado especially has a super short season in terms of guaranteed good weather. We can get snow anywhere from September through May (and sometimes even in summer!). If your event has an outdoors component, this is essential to consider. Even indoor event coordinators need to consider avoiding the heavier snow seasons as folks are less inclined to go out in bad weather.
2. Holidays – Take time cross-checking all the major holidays – including religious ones. You don’t need to compete with expected distractions.
3. Other Events – Probably the most overlooked aspect of timing is ensuring that none of your competitors are hosting a similar event during the same timeframe. Also look into major events in the area that could be appealing to your audience. Ideally, you want to schedule your event during a time where you are not competing for attention.

 

Length of Your Event

 

Occasionally, we get ambitious and we plan these elaborately long and jam-packed events without considering our audience. Convincing someone to give a weekend (or a week!) of their time is going to make the sale of your tickets harder. Also, your attendees will never return for another of your events if they feel like the time invested didn’t match the value received.

 

Time is precious. Really consider the need for a longer event and have some honest and frank conversations with potential attendees to get a feel for a successful timeframe. You can always break up your session into multiple dates if you have a lot of content to cover and that may be more appealing to your people.

 

Planning Your Event

 

As you start planning your event, there are some important questions I want you to answer:

 

1. What is it that you want to get out of the event?

 

Ideally, you have a main goal (possibly 1-2 secondary goals) that you’ll want to aim for. Having too many goals, or worse, not having any, can impact how you feel about the success of the event afterward. Gain some clarity before you begin so you can really measure whether or not you hit your targets.

 

2. Are you ready to set one main intention before you start?

 

Similar to goal setting and measurement, setting an intention gives you a laser-like focus. It will not only help you meet your goals – it will ensure you attract the right audience, and will help you stay on track. Nothing worse than an event that’s all over the place!

 

3. Are you going solo or collaborating?

 

The larger the event, the more help you are going to need. Plus, what a great opportunity to collaborate with current power partners, make new connections, and invite your prospects to be a part of something amazing. You can totally plan your whole event on your own but there is also power in including others.

 

4. Do you know your audience?

 

Be sure you’re inviting folks that fit the mold of who you want to work with, in whatever capacity that looks like for this event. Just filling a room full of people may increase your income for one day – but filling it with the RIGHT people will have a much bigger, long-term impact on your bottom line.

 

Budgeting for Your Event

 

It’s SO EASY to go crazy big because you are excited and want the best outcome, but failure awaits those who aren’t realistic about their budget. Knowing your intention and your goals is key here. If you are trying to attract BIG BUSINESS – putting more money into your event may be the key to attracting that audience. Know what you want, then really consider what you can afford. If you need additional money, you may need to build in extra time to sell sponsorships or add vendors to help push you to where you need to be budget-wise.

PRO TIP: Host some kind of event for the vendors/sponsors ahead of time for extra networking, idea generation, and showcasing appreciation for this vital group.

 

There is quite a bit of thought and planning that goes into any successful event. If you want support in turning your idea into reality, give us a call. We’d love to collaborate and make your event an even BIGGER success!