The BusyEvent Blog

What Meeting & Event Professionals Can Learn From the Dead
#eventprofs #mpi

One of the most insightful event bloggers we’ve been reading lately is Keith Johnston from the Onsite Events blog.  He has a very unique view of how real world lessons can be applied to the events industry.

In keeping with our focus on the onsite event experience, Keith’s thoughts on creating value, evaluating ROI, creating experiences vs simply events, and a host of other thoughts are in line with the way we think at BusyEvent.  I’d recommend reading his stuff.

“. . . The Grateful Dead were probably the first of the truly “Viral Marketers” and are amazing “Event Planners”. You do not attend a concert, you become one with an experience.” <BUSYEVENT> And that’s exactly what the onsite experience can be.  Yesterday, I had an envigorating conversation with Ryan from BeEvents Design about how our two company’s can partner to help our clients create a goal-based memorable experience for each attendee, one that meets the defined goals of the event planner and how the “AWARD WINNING” (thanks CEMA) Event Bookmarking can be used to deliver, measure and impact those experiences, in real time.  Look for some great announcements to be made in the near future!

“The first lesson is to produce something magical, if you do, people will come back over and over . . . If you are producing the same conference, year after year, why should your attendees keep coming back?  You must always be fresh.” <BUSYEVENT> The importance of this can not be overstated.  As some of you may know, we were recently voted the best new technology during the CEMA Summit Technology Shoot Out.  And even though we have a very polished presentation, we erased the white board and started from scratch.  Given the feedback we received, it was the right approach.  We could have gotten on stage and delivered the canned and time tested pitch, as did some of our competitors, but our different approach helped us stand out and produced the desired results.  So the question to ask yourself is, “Am I using the tried and true because it’s always worked in the past?  Or, am I being creative and inventive and learning from the status quo”?

“Choose best of breed suppliers. This lets (you) concentrate on the (event) and not on the (event) details.” <BUSYEVENT> OK, on this one, I’m going to both agree and disagree.  By all means, choose the best supplier that 1) makes sense given your goals, 2) you can afford given your budget and 3) produces the desired results and that you can trust.  But, don’t get fooled by the “shiny key” syndrome.  You know, the thing that looks so cool that you get overwhelmed by its real value?  In many cases, more expensive is simply more expensive.  If you’re stuck between cost and value look around, I’ll guarantee that there’s a more cost-effective way to accomplish your goals.  And, if you’re having troubles, call us (888.788.4896) and we’ll introduce you to our trusted partners!

“Love your attendees and show them you appreciate them . . . the Dead have always embraced the fans and made them feel like they are part of something that is bigger than just a concert.” <BUSYEVENT> And to Keith’s point, doing this doesn’t even require a budget. In past blogs, we’ve discussed:

• How to Tap Into the Secret Conversation at Your Event
• What Your Exhibitors, Sponsors and Attendees are Thinking, Aren’t Telling You and Why You Should Care
• What Your Attendees Are Thinking And Why You Should Care

Based on our client’s experiences, it’s worth it and typically returns 3-4x the investment.

“Give it away and don’t care, it will only make people want more…you should give away all of your conference materials to anyone who wants them, even those who did not attend. It is good to reinforce the message for those that were there, and it makes those who were not there wish they were. Don’t be scared, try it, you will find that you are encouraging people to spread the word for you. You can’t buy that kind of publicity.” <BUSYEVENT> While in general, we agree (and I know of a whole group of #eventprofs, like Jeff Hurt, that agree), and I’m going to add one piece to this . . . give it away but do so ’smartly’.  If you’ve got something of value, get something in return.  We’ve come to the end of the stacks of brochures sitting at an exhibitor booth . . . it’s too expensive, it’s not green and it’s extraordinarily inefficient (can you tell which attendee read your printed brochure?).  Likely, we’ve also come to the end of the era of ’stacks of business cards with scribbled notes on the back’ and most certainly, it’s no longer efficient to email the speaker after the event for their presentation.  With the prevalence of all of these materials readily available via digital download – or even better, as part of an always-on personal profile – the ability to connect with people, products and ideas and do so in an organized fashion, in real-time, and the ability to participate in the conversation has never been greater.  Tools like the BusyEvent Event Bookmarking system can help you give it away, and even monetize it, if that’s your goal. 

“Embrace technology.  . . . I walked into the concert hall and was greeted with the option of paying $25.00 for a copy of that evenings performance . . . You can do the same . . . and have those copies of the conference materials ready to go when the event is over; people will pay for the convenience and think that you are a genius.” <BUSYEVENT> And, you can have it available online, as well.  Remember our blog post “From Trees, to Tradeshows to Trashcans . . . the life of a tradeshow brochure“? This is what we’ve been talking about.  Or, you could make your attendees suffer from this or like this. 

“Although I could keep going, the most important thing that meeting and event professionals can learn from the Dead is simple, be the best . . . be magical.” <BUSYEVENT> Right on Keith . . . Thanks for a GREAT blog post!”

What Part of Status Quo Don’t We Understand? #eventprofs #cema

During the first day of the Corporate Event Marketing Association’s Summit, there was a very intriguing discussion about “insurgents” and “incumbents” delivered in a talk by keynote speaker Scott Miller, author of “The Underdog Advantage”.

In it, he discusses how “It’s the toughest environment ever for incumbents and market leaders. Insurgents, revolutionaries and underdogs hold all the cards now.”

Which of course got me thinking . . . what is it about the status quo that we don’t understand?

As Event Bookmarking continues to gain acceptance in the market and as we talk to our clients about the use of our tools, we continue to be impressed with how much effort is required to help people accomplish the things they know they want and struggle with doing because of their tie to the past.

In the events industry, ‘the way it’s always been done’ is a powerful force.  Even though doing it the old way, produces sub-standard results, that level of comfort with “I know what I’ll get” is at the same time both comforting and frustrating.

And, here’s an example.  About a week ago, I went to the movies with my family and used many of the free and easy tools to make the experience enjoyable; we used the internet to determine the movie we wanted to see, SMS with our daughter’s to make the final decision, MovieTickets.com to purchase the tickets and the special tickets-pickup desk when we got to the theater.

Which is when I got the surprise that I’ve never really noticed before.

When we got to the theater I couldn’t help notice that there were about 50 people in the ‘ticket window line’ and NO ONE was using the ticket kiosks, not 25 feet away.  It got me thinking “why would someone choose to wait in line for 20 minutes, when a viable and proven alternative was 25 feet away?”

Other than techno-nervousness or perhaps the lack of a credit card, how much a role did ’status quo’ play in their decisions?  And, taken further, how much is ’status quo’ a challenge to the events industry:

• Why would an event planner choose to put their attendees through an arduous ‘badge line’ when airline-style kiosks or even better, Smartphone-based check-in is now available?
• Why would an event planner choose to put their exhibitors through a process that produces a ‘list of the list’ rather than truly qualified leads?
• Why would a speaker, with all the tools available to them, choose to give the same talk time-after-time rather than make use of the engaging Web 2.0 tools that are so prevalent you can’t escape them?
• Why would people choose the expensive or arduous path, when viable, cost effective and easier alternatives exist?

So, in a time of transition with the air so rich with opportunity are you falling prey to the status quo?  In essence, are you an incumbent or an insurgent?

Be sure to follow BusyEvent on Twitter and please feel free to leave any comments you wish.

July 21, 2009: UPDATE: We won! 
Check out David’s Award Winning Presentation!

#eventprofs @cemaonline
Event-Tech Company Throws Down Gauntlet at CEMA Tech Shootout

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. LOUIS, MO, July 14, 2009 — David Schenberg and Brian Slawin of BusyEvent, say they can help meeting professionals cut event-marketing costs in half using the Event Bookmarking system and they intend to substantiate their claim at next week’s Tech Shoot Out, part of the Corporate Event Marketing Association’s (CEMA @CemaOnline) 2009 Summit.

Having once been less-than-satisfied customers of event-planning tools and services when they held executive positions with a prime government contractor, the proverbial “there’s-got-to-be-a-better-way” bug bit them hard.  So they left the security of their sure thing to tackle event-marketing logistics, vowing to bring:

• true program assistance,
• true cost-savings,
• true qualified-lead-generation and management, and
• true ROI evaluation to the events arena

“We have developed a better mousetrap, and are eager to compare it to anything on the market in both measureable efficacy and value-added cost-effectiveness,” says David Schenberg, CEO of BusyEvent.

For more information about BusyEvent’s Event Bookmarking System which puts your attendees in control of their event experience, and the back-story of this tech-driven company’s entrepreneurial entry to event marketing’s center stage, contact Brian Slawin at bslawin-at-busyevent.com or call 888.788.4896 x112.

# # #
Contact: Brian Slawin | BusyEvent | 888.788.4896 x112 | bslawin-at-busyevent-dot-com

#eventprofs #cema #mpi @cemaonline
Taking the Next Big Step at the CEMA Tech Shootout

What is all the ‘outplaced’ talent going to do?

While some have opted to look for another corporate job, more than a few have taken their entrepreneurial spirit and hung out their own shingle.

Which is exactly what the principals of event technology company BusyEvent did, in 2006.

After choosing to leave the comfort and protection of their executive positions with a prime government contractor, David J. Schenberg and Brian Slawin are building a company that helps meeting professionals cut the costs of their events in half using Event Bookmarking.

Now, even through the challenges of today’s economy, BusyEvent is focusing its marketing dollars on the most fierce competitive environment possible; the Tech Shootout at The CEMA (Corporate Event Marketing Associations’) 2009 Summit.

Get the inside story on what it’s like to continue building a company and the path today’s ‘new entrepreneurs’ might take, if they get that far.

Follow @CEMAOnline and then be sure to message or DM @BusyEvent on Twitter or contact us directly: info-at-busyevent-dot-com or 888.788.4896 x112.

Is Technology Squelching Innovative Thinking? #eventprofs #mpi

Gordon Lyster from Events and Publishing, LTD in the UK asked a really good question on LinkedIn today:

At our recent ‘Conference and events Industry get-together’, we had a thought provoking presentation by the excellent Rohit Talwar who talked about new technologies and how they are changing the face of business events. I  . . . would be keen to hear about new developments. . . . If you have seen something new, that made a positive difference let’s hear about it.

And, here’s our reply:

Hi there Gordon.

Boy, have you jumped into the deep end with this one. What a GREAT question and I am sure you’re going to get a lot of really insightful answers.

Before jumping into the ‘tech pool’ and giving you some examples of the tools we use, the ‘why’ of these tools is more important than the ‘what’. I know that’s not your question, so I’ll forgo the lecture just keep in mind that “to a man with a hammer, the entire world looks like a nail”.

From the perspective of an attendee and exhibitor, along with an event manager, the greatest opportunity that we see is the onsite experience.

So, the goals of the onsite might easily be:

• Connect with people
• Learn about products / Sell my products
• Share in a discussion / learn about new ideas
• Do all of this less expensively!

The mistake we’re seeing most is that traditional thinking is being applied to accomplish these goals, only doing so with new tools:

1. It’s not enough to turn traditional lead management into an iPhone app. The measurable quality of lead management has to improve for the ROI to make sense.
2. It’s not enough to connect people before an event, walk them to the front door of the event and then ‘pat them on the back wishing them good luck’. The ease of connectedness, the measure of interest and the ability to know whom to take action with, are critical.
3. It’s not enough to provide information about how a speaker did, months after the event is over. It’s got to be real-time and actionable or else it doesn’t matter much.
4. It’s not enough to just ’speak’ green. If an event planner is going to run a green event, then it needs to be fiscally as well as environmentally responsible, to do so.
5. At every event, there’s a ‘secret conversation‘ going on that the people paying for the event need to be listening to. The best tools can help them access that.

There are a variety of other ‘new thinking’ goals that make sense to discuss, but I’m sure some of our colleagues will contribute them in the comments section.  For our part, this type of new thinking (Guy Kawasaki calls it “Curve Jumping”) is what led us to develop Event Bookmarking.

Combine a software platform for lead management, audience response, social networking and connections with a purpose-built hardware platform migrating to mobile devices and you’ll begin to understand the power of the BusyEvent and Event Bookmarking tools set.

More importantly, it’s the kind of ‘new thinking’ that is going to be needed not only in this economy, but in any economy, when an event manager is pressed with the goals of their event, for half the budget.

How to Drive Value-& Increased Revenues-During An Event #eventprofs #mpi

Last week, at about the same time Your Event Sold Out – Now What? was published on the BusyEvent Blog, meeting and events professional Jeff Hurt challenged the events industry to look at how it creates revenue from the content at an event: (Am I The Only One Scratching My Head Going Huh?).

Given that event professionals are looking at every possible way to provide value to their attendees, exhibitors and sponsors and derive revenue from their events, the question is a good one; aside from “fees” what can we do to create recurring revenues from an event?

• Content can have a life, beyond the event.  Whether it’s real-time streamed or on demand, the value of the content is going to capture attendees beyond the walls of the venue and that’s important.  And, if that content has true impact and value, it’s going to do at least two things: 1) create real-time revenues and 2) create interest and more attendance for the next time the event is held.   If an event session is sponsored, streamed and made available on demand, the value of that sponsorship increases, the opportunity to charge more and the increased exposure increases and most importantly, it creates value for the sponsor as well as everyone that views the content later.

• Connections can have a life, beyond the event.  People attend events for a lot of reasons and face-to-face connections is high on the list.  What can be done to foster and utilize your attendee’s virtual and professional networks to create real business opportunities?  Matchmaking for certain, but what about VIP matchmaking?  What kinds of special events are you building that bring the exact right people (and their companies) together?  How about “speed meetings”, or even better “speed dinners“?

• Scarcity, generates revenue.  As a general law of economics, supply & demand can be applied to the events industry.  Instead of early-bird tickets sold by date, what about selling by volume?  Or, auction bidding for exhibitor spaces?  And what about the content . . . First offer the live stream, then the live tweet and then on demand . . . or whatever fits best with your prospective attendees.

• Paying attendees; can that make sense?  Remember in high school when there was always one enterprising person who worked with a travel agency to create a really great trip for the senior class?  You know how much they paid for their trip?  In fact, I think they even made money.  Do you know who your influencers are?  Are they blogging, Tweeting and talking about your event?  Are you giving them a reason to?

• Sponsor targeting.  If you’re selling standard sponsorship opportunities (cocktail napkins, lanyards, etc…) how are you going to assure that your sponsor’s messaging is hitting their target market?  Micro-targeting messaging, through the use of registration and check-in tools that know who is trying to reach out to whom, can create revenues and value, and repeat sponsors.

• Targeting sponsors outside of the event.  There’s a Domino’s Pizza in every event city in the world, same with Kinko’s/FedEx and increasingly Apple Stores.  Are you reaching outside of your event to offer sponsorship opportunities to consumer-focused companies that would love to get in front of your audience’s eyes?

We’d welcome you sharing your ideas by leaving either a comment or sending us an email: info-at-busyevent-dot-com.

So, now that you’ve taken advantage of the 16 Things To Drive Traffic To Your Events and you’re helping everyone take advantage of the opportunity because Your Event Sold Out – Now What?, this post has focused on how to create increased revenues, opportunities and value.

Coming next we’ll share some ideas related to maximizing the immediate and longer-term post event where opportunities are realized and next year’s (quarter’s?) event begins to take shape.

Be sure to follow BusyEvent on Twitter or via our RSS Feed to know what we’re discussing next.