CREATING LANDMARK EVENTS

THE GUIDE TO

EVENTS

WHEN THE GAME IS THE SAME BUT THE BOARD IS BIGGER

More delegates?

Bigger venue?

Global online audience?

Higher revenue targets?

Massive media attention?

The principles of great

event management do not

change with scale.

YOUR EXPO HAS SCALED TOO QUICKLY

Your sales team has said YES

to everyone…

•  Make it the sales team’s

responsibility to deliver

value – taking key buyers

to meet exhibitors

•  Ask a friendly buyer to run

a pre-expo workshop to

teach exhibitors to ask the

right questions & make the

most of their time

•  Treat all the buyers like

VIPs to encourage them to

stay and engage

1

YOU’VE MOVED TO A HUGE LANDMARK VENUE

Don’t let the venue dictate

terms - you’re the client!

Push for everything you can

get in contract negotiations

If the venue is famous, use its

name and image as much as

you can

Fight hard to use your own

people, not the venue’s

‘trusted suppliers’

2

YOU’VE GOT MORE DELEGATES . THAN YOU WERE EXPECTING . 3

•  Tell everyone on the registration desk to remain calm – set up a

‘triage’ desk for unexpected badges and payments

•  Never apologise for the popularity of your event

•  Work the queues – turn them into impromptu networking events

•  Be honest with the venue so they can stretch the catering and

help manage the crowds

THE MEDIA SUDDENLY TAKES AN INTEREST IN YOUR EVENT

Have someone on the team who

has sole responsibility for Press

Give the media space to work,

free wifi and offer access to

SOME speakers

Make sure none of your staff

mention any mistakes or

problems in public areas

Check what kind of stories they

tend to write, before granting

them access to your event

4

If it goes wrong…

Journalism is focused on short-term

wins, so take control. Play the long

game. Don’t panic.

Be ‘flawsome’, own mistakes,

apologise and move on.

Keep in mind what you need to be

remembered one month, one year

from now.

Bury bad news under good. Spin the

positives. Offer exclusive access &

interviews.

Rewrite the story.

YOUR EVENT NOW HAS A GLOBAL FOLLOWING

This is not the time to save money on

production – every detail will be

judged by a large audience

If you’re live-streaming, have a

contingency wifi router

Insist on speakers using rehearsal

time with a show producer

Invest on excellent (and fast) editing

for video content, as well as multiple

camera angles

If you’re using VR (virtual reality),

avoid gimmicky avatars and focus

attention on the content.

5

If you run live events and live or work in

London, please join the LinkedIn Group:

THE GUIDE TO EVENTS

For more information, visit www.guideto.events

Photography credits: Jean Baptiste, Paris Tim Stubbings KOMUnews Matthias Uhlig William Warby Habrda

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