The BusyEvent Blog

This is not an article about the new amazing Twitter App for your 4G iPhone

• Two years ago it was all about Green Meetings.
• 2009 was the year of explosive growth in social networking to bolster PR, Marketing and anything else because budgets were being hacked.
• Spring 2010 has a blooming love affair with anything social AND mobile.

Combine the words Social Media and Mobile and money will fall from the sky and land on your startup company, supposedly.  Which brings me to the primary question…why ARE we so enamored by mobile applications?

I own an iPhone and appreciate the fun and function of it all.  But I think the excitement for software providers is expressed as a percentage of all phones in existence (smart phones are fast approaching a third of all handsets).

If I’m the maker of an app that sells for $1, then this is a tempting business model.  However, if I’m counting on 80% or more of a group to have a smart phone to support a live event application, we’re probably out of luck.

For the most part this is still a science experiment akin to the early Internet days when the idea of a website was more important than the site itself.  In the panic to launch a mobile application we cannot forget the natural thing we’re trying to help make better.

For example, exchanging a business card has turned into bumping two phones together except when one of those phones is a Blackberry.  If mobile applications are to become useful for business, they need to work on just about any phone…even the no-so-smart phones.

We have enjoyed the recent flood of new ideas and applications hitting the market.  We are inspired and preparing to launch some of our own elegant and powerful tools that meet the business goals of our clients.

The next few years will require a hybrid model of live event hardware and mobile applications to satisfy the audience preference as well as the unexpected coverage and power issues we are still seeing in many event facilities.

Maybe 2011 will be the year of Hybrid tools!  We look forward to that.

10 Ways to Better, Cheaper, Faster and Greener Events in 2010 #eventprofs

For the events industry, 2010 will be a year of resolutions. It seems the harder times become, the more we resolve to do something about it. And like many New Year’s past, we already know what to do.  We just get complacent and forget. This year we don’t have that luxury.  The old way of operating an event, expo, congress or trade show will be left behind in the 00’s.  Skip the fad diets that promise to deliver quick results and quirky technologies that promise success. Here are our 10 best ways to make your events better, cheaper, faster and greener in 2010 and beyond:

1. Use technology, but only as a tool. There are several technologies that can help create better event communication and connectivity, but you must have a solid foundation of information.  It is this information that allows your attendees to come back and connect with people, products and ideas they found useful.  People vote with their eyes and mouse clicks and the sooner you can capture this information, the sooner your sponsors and vendors will pay you for the opportunity to connect with the right attendees using the right messages.
2. Knowledge is power. Events are all about information. How many came, who liked the speaker, is this room big enough?  What if you could get your data in real time to improve an event in progress?  For example, if a speaker is presenting three times and after the first time you get useful feedback, wouldn’t it be nice to make some adjustments before the other two presentations?  Your attendees decided to come to your event this year, reward them with the best event experience you can create.
3. A list is just a list. Since when did a list of names constitute qualified leads or interested people? Scrutinize any area of your event that does not return some level of qualification information.  Start by looking at how attendees connect with one another and see if there’s a way you can help facilitate those connections. Look at social networking tools. It’s the best place to see benefit from this emerging trend.
4. Eliminate paper and become smarter. The only brochure that tells you it’s being read is the one on-line. Going green is more than saving trees, budgets, and reducing carbon footprints.  Electronic materials are a critical component of the qualification process for expo vendors, speakers and sponsors.  Look for ways to make it easier to engage with your event without the bag of paper. On-line information tells us who, what and when which leads to why and how.
5. Events are no longer controlled by the event producer. Every attendee and exhibitor has a public voice (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) that can turn a small incident into a catastrophe or a nice event into the best conference ever. By being engaged and nurturing the communications going on in the background, you can encourage event participants to help sell and promote “their” event by owning a part of the conversation and creating a more meaningful experience.

6. Content is King. Virtual and web-based events are competing more than ever with live events. Work with the subject matter experts to deliver high-quality content and a unique event experience. Get the speakers involved early and make them part of the online conversation. Invite them to participate in the event social network and set up a method for them to meet-and-greet attendees. And most importantly, make sure you’ve spoken with and coordinated your speaker’s needs to eliminate the last-minute fire drill.
7. KISS (Keep it simple). People gravitate toward simple and easy things that are worth the effort. For example, many people have a LinkedIn or Facebook profile that they keep up to date. Tools that make use of existing information make it easier for people to participate. High levels of participation in social networking lead to better and successful events.
8. CFOs are your new marketing partner. If you can’t prove it, it won’t get funded. You should be able to communicate the types of return on investment created for each stakeholder group. Then align yourself with the venues, vendors, participants, exhibitors and attendees who are looking for the types of ROI you can provide. Solid partnerships based on shared expectations is a recipe for great success.
9. Monitoring other people’s costs. You’ve worked hard to cut costs and be frugal around your event, but what about the vendors? If 300 vendors in an expo are going to spend $300 to rent a piece of equipment that generates a list (and you know how we feel about lists) ask yourself what would $90,000 spent differently do to help the vendors and the event.  By eliminating paper brochures you run a greener meeting, but you also trim an average of $5,000 out of each vendor’s costs for design, printing, shipping, drayage and storage the average materials sent to a show. Multiplied by 300 vendors that’s $1,500,000 in savings in your event alone.
10. And now a word from the sponsors. Sponsors are the ones who make up the difference in dollars between the event you can afford and the one attendees want. Those sponsors want many of the same things as the other groups.  As you make better habits for gathering real time event information, the opportunity to turn that information into sponsor revenue is the next frontier.  Simply placing logos on signage isn’t going to get the sponsors to keep stepping up. They want more of a partnership with the event and a relationship with the attendees.  The more you know about your event, the better equipped you will be to offer sponsors the custom programs they desire.

Can You Afford To Do It The Old Fashioned Way? #eventprofs #assnchat

Part 2 of 2:  Taking good ideas into the future

In Part 1 of this series (Better, Cheaper, Faster and Greener . . . You Want ‘Em All?) we provided an overview of some events technologies and how they are being used to cut costs and run a more sustainable meeting or event.  Part 2 brings together additional ideas for how modernizing an event and taking advantage of some new trends will actually continue to lower the cost of running a successful event.

Some say we’re starting to claw our way out of this current recession. But we all know things will never be the same again.  Much of the cost-cutting measures we’ve endured will remain in effect for years to come.  Splurging for better food, entertainment or production will likely return as the belt loosens up.  However, the need for efficiency, connectivity and better data coming out of an event is here to stay.  The realization that an event can run more efficiently and for less money isn’t something a CFO soon forgets.

For example, think about the trends in social networking.  Did you realize part of what is driving technologies like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook is the public’s demand for connectivity?  More people are looking for a new or better job. Sales professionals are clamoring for their next leads.  The general public wants to connect on a personal or professional level.  Over the past several months, we have come to rely on social networking to fill the void that was otherwise fulfilled through more traditional means. As a result, we are now seeing new technologies to help people connect before, during and after a tradeshow or event.

The Old Way
Used to be, there were a specific list of events you attended each year.  You’d sign up and show up. Maybe look at the event website and do a little planning, but for the most part, you knew what you were going to do: Attend some sessions, walk the show floor, meet colleagues and renew the learning and motivation that comes from a good event.

1. You show up at the event,
2. collect your badge, bag and show materials.
3. Then proceed to fill your bag and fill your mind with information.
4. When the event ends, you sift your bag and decide what will make it home.
5. Back at the office you have fallen behind so you dive back into work with another pile on your desk as a memory of the event.
6. There are follow-up emails, mailers, phone calls and some of the information remains useful, but much of it fades within a few weeks.

A brief look at the dollars spent to create a temporary immersion is a bit troubling if the average experience looks like this.  You or your company spent money for you to go, vendors spent money to get your attention and the event producer spent lots of money and labor to arrange the event.

The New Way
It is no longer assumed that you will simply attend the events you’ve always gone to.  Attendance is down because people have to be more selective with their shrinking budgets. So how does one choose which shows to attend?

Much of the benefit is now available well ahead of the event.

• Through better event websites, people can browse the event contents.
• Social networking is embedded into the pre-event communications so attendees can easily see who in their LinkedIn or Facebook networks is going.
• Speakers have fan pages, bios, blogs and online materials to review.
• Vendors are scheduling booth appointments and launching full-scale marketing campaigns to pre-qualify the leads.

All of this pre-event activity ensures the dollars spent will turn into value for every participant. During the event, technology is being used so attendees can gather electronic materials to their personal web page.  Co-workers back at the office can see what is happening at the show since fewer are attending this year.  Twitter feeds, streaming video and even virtual events happen as simultaneous channels to the live event so there are more ways to interact.

We’re seeing that while attendance may be down, the quality of the attendee is way up.  A single exchange of information now has lasting impact for entire groups of people instead of a fading memory.

After the event, there is web-based content to keep the discussions going.  Electronic reporting ensures follow-ups are relevant and qualified.  Where all of the data and connectivity is new and exciting, what’s even more exciting?  These new methods cost less than the old way.  Trackable and electronic information is replacing traditional design, printing, shipping and drayage.  Other reductions in the expense of attendance tracking, lead management equipment and labor add up to tens of thousands of dollars a show must reduce to stay healty.

Making the transition
This is not an overnight evolution.  It starts with knowing your audience and listening to what they want.  Timing is critical because this is already happening.

Many organizations have made the first few steps to add some social networking components.  Rather than taking a reactionary approach to shrinking attendance and weakening sponsor/vendor support, reach out to those groups and open a discussion on how you are modernizing your event to create better value for everyone involved.

Select a partner that can help you maximize your existing resources and make the transition to a relevant and connected event that will survive and event thrive in ANY economy.

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Also, as a reminder, remember to vote for The BusyEvent Blog as the Best Educational Blog for the Events Professionals Award!

Better, Cheaper, Faster and Greener . . . You Want ‘Em All? #eventprofs

Part 1 of 2: Recession Proofing Your Green Event

Two of the most popular topics right now are recession proofing your meeting and running a green event. Companies continue to tighten their budgets and cost-cutting measures control which meetings they can attend.  Simply charging less may not be enough.  Running a green or sustainable event means eliminating waste, making tough choices in venues, and selecting food and beverage options that are better for the environment and the surrounding community.

Traditionally the two goals sit in opposition to one another.  This two-part article will discuss the new creativity and technology being used to establish green events that are profitable.

We’ve only recently come to understand these ideas overlap to provide a dual benefit.  For example, we like a process that allows an attendee to “bookmark” a booth, speaker or person they meet.  Before, during and after the event, all of this information is available on line.   The speaker, vendor or event manager can see which attendees reviewed the brochures, website and speaker materials.

When the physical event is over, the online version helps people connect, review and share information.  By using the Internet, more people are exposed to the event which helps it evolve and grow.  Eliminating brochures, handouts, presentation materials and surveys is the best way to green your event and in doing so you actually improve the event.  Imagine the number of steps a brochure travels from tree to paper to printer to event to hotel room trash can to landfill…never once letting someone know a qualified person is reading it. Identifying those more interested and qualified attendees is the true value of their efforts.

In the current state of technology, we’re halfway between traditional and electronic.  While it’s still easier to grab a colorful pamphlet off of a table, a growing percentage of us carry a phone with an Internet connection and color camera.  Technology can show us what we want when we want it.  The shift from sorting through a stack of papers in a filing cabinet versus Google-ing any document at any time on a number of devices will continue to become more of a reality.

While these ideas sound very green, the primary goal is to provide more qualified leads and data analysis to establish a proper value for the investment in booth space and sponsorship programs.  Knowing what was popular or not, and feeding this information back into the event creates a more profitable and better experience for attendees and stakeholders.

Recession proofing isn’t just about how to lower costs or trim the features out of an event to make it affordable.  If we measure why people participate in an event and use this information to produce a better event, then we have an opportunity for future success.  In any economy people decide to attend an event based on a combination of the following:

• Opportunities to leverage a personal network and grow a professional network – looking for new business, a new job and new ideas.
• Which subject matter experts are speaking and on what topics?
• Continuing education that cannot be found in their local city.
• Researching new products and services on the show floor.
• A general feeling of being inspired and invigorated for another year of success.

An event that offers this combination can create something not found anywhere else.  Content is still king and measuring the popularity of what people found to be the best goes well beyond a paper survey.

From audience response devices to kiosks to text messaging, there are many ways to survey that are faster, greener, and more successful.  Instead of a post-mortem after the event, gather information in real-time and tweak the event while it’s in progress.  Give attendees a voice during the event for an engaged and attentive audience.  Electronically poll a group at the beginning of a breakout session on topics they would prefer and then use the same method to survey what they thought at the conclusion of each session.

Not to ignore the discussion of trimming costs as part of the recession proofing process, Part 2 looks at the hard costs that go into running an event.  In the meantime, review your event expenses and ask, “How many truly add value?”  So much of the traditional process can be reduced and even eliminated. In part two we will discuss how to modernize the event process while trimming costs.

John asks: What’s the difference between a sponsorship and a true brand partnership?

BusyEvent answers: As the economy waffles for the near future, new sponsorships will become more difficult to obtain and existing ones will fade. Brand partnership requires a good understanding of the profiles of the various users of the brand. If an event can know enough about their attendees and then deliver the right demographic audience to the brand, then there’s a real reason for sponsorship (money, services, in-kind products like food/beverage/prizes). Real creativity is required to build up a brand partnership that gets a group of people really engaged in the brand. Simply placing logos on stuff isn’t going to fit into shrinking marketing budgets. The emerging trend is to gather better data before, during and after the event so you have something tangible to show a brand to obtain their involvement in your event(s). We use SMS, web, variable data postcards, voice response, RFID and barcoding in concert to know as much about a group of people as we can without anyone feeling manipulated. It’s a rewards-focused program where people let us know a little about their preferences and get something valuable for their time. I hope this either confirms what you were thinking or expands on a fruitful conversation to come. Best of luck in the new year!

Annie asks: Why do people go to conferences?

BusyEvent answers: This is a timeless question. The ebb and flow of our travel economy causes people to wonder how the conference business will survive and even thrive. One thing has not changed over the years… content is king. If an event has a combination of things that cannot be found anywhere else any other time of the year, it should continue to do well. Short change the supporters of an event in any area and it will suffer. People look for new products, great speakers with industry insight, subject matter experts, plenty of social networking and generally a location that gives them time to enjoy while sharpening the saw. Emerging technologies that keep people more connected before and after the show are the area where effort could pay off to improve this well-proven experience. When the goal is gain or strengthen client relationships, these technologies will go further to help qualify a set of timely needs. Anything that can help potential attendees, exhibitors and sponsors decide that this is the show for them will be worth the investment as the economy tightens. You will need a distinct advantage over other show properties to help people decide where to spend their limited budgets.

John asks: How do you think text messaging could help the industry?

BusyEvent Answers: There are many services for both business and entertainment that have popped up over the past few years that are beginning to take the place of traditional websites. There are a large percentage of people who still don’t use a phone with email capabilities. The moment those people leave their computer, they lose their tether to the latest info typically sent to their inbox. Some of the most important applications that will continue to evolve center on things that affect consumer’s time, money, convenience and connectedness with business and family contacts. In the events industry notifications about schedule changes, special opportunities, sponsor offers and the fact that someone you plan to meet has just arrived at the lobby are just a few of the text features we’re already implementing. Text to Speech is another area worth investigation as well.

John Asks: Will be discussing Sponsorship sales for the annual meeting of an education based local association. Has 15 colleges as members. Has an annual dinner meeting that has sponsorhship sales potential. All of the college PRESIDENTS attend. Huge potential for reaching the DECISION MAKERS.

Hoping there are folks here that will share the different sponsorship opptys that their group takes advantage of. Sponsor of cocktail hour, sponsor of main speaker, sponsor of valet parking….etc….

BusyEvent Answers: This is a great question John – one that all event producers care about…

Sponsors like to place their dollars into something more productive than “your logo here.” People like to network and learn at events such as yours. So why not have several sponsors participate directly in the networking and learning aspects of your event. If you break down your event into 4 or 5 “stages” each stage can be sponsored.

What if you set up the evening as a progressive meal? Each stage allows a sponsor to submit a PowerPoint slide for the front of the room promoting their product and even submits an “ice-breaker” question for the tables to kick around while they eat their salad, dessert, etc.

Give everyone a name badge and put the tables they will be sitting at for each course. Leave the cocktails before/after for open networking etc. If you get the room to shuffle around 4-5 times across the evening, then you are giving everyone a chance to sit with up to 45 people that night. All of them taking part of the evening to think about your sponsor’s message and question.

If you skip the logos everywhere signage, then your event will look less like a NASCAR event and become more friendly and elegant. Instead, produce a small booklet for the tables, put all of the questions, slides, logos, sponsor websites etc. in that so the attendees can take it with them for after the event is over.

Lisa asks: I’m doing a preconference email blast to a couple of hundred attendees. Instead of the usual introduction boilerplate, I’m open to new ideas. Basically anything goes as long as it fits within the boundaries of email marketing!

BusyEvent Answers: Lisa, I would encourage you to have some fun and reward those who like to network. Send them something they can bring to the show and come looking for you. One example I’ve seen is you send them a random puzzle piece and they bring it to you to see if it fits. If they do, you reach in your pocket and give them a prize.

Another involves a match n win with your product or service being featured. One person has to find their match in the crowd and once they find the match, they come together to you.You can control the number of matches and thus prizes, but the cool feature of this little game is you get a whole room of people meeting one another all talking about you! Make it something they stick to their badge or pin to their lanyard. The rest, as they say, is up to you.

Dave Asks: What on line registration service would you use to manage a running event?

BusyEvent Answers: Dave, The logistics surrounding the on-site check-in, bib distribution and timing is far more critical to providing the best experience for participants. Add to this, sponsorship messaging and volunteer management and now registration may seem like one of your smallest needs. The larger the event, the more important all of the other “stuff” becomes.

Consider a registration system that has the ability to speed the on-site process. Look at how RFID embedded in the bib can provide all sorts of real-time benefits and assist with event logistics. If you have a decent sponsorship revenue opportunity, then there are other benefits that can be gained by modifying the communications to promote appropriate sponsors in the fitness arena.