Help for Event Planners

Event planning is all about the details. And keeping track of those details can be a challenge – not to mention very time consuming! This month, The Expert Speakers would like to pass along some of the tools that we have either used ourselves or heard about from others that might make your job easier. Here goes!

1. Super Planner (http://howardgivner.com/super-planner-iphone-app#content) is an inexpensive mobile application specifically designed for event professionals. It helps track food and beverage counts, room configurations, staffing needs, AV, and more. This app won the 2011 Special Events Magazine’s Gala Award for Best New/Innovative Event Product/Technology.
2. Track references to your event using Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts). It’s free and allows you to set up multiple alerts on the keywords or phrases you’d like to track. Note that you can use key phrases by enclosing the phrase in quotes and exclude certain words by using a minus (-) sign before them. You can also check out the Alerts feature on Social Mention (http://www.socialmention.com).
3. Add a live stream of mentions about your conference to your website using Social Mention’s Real Time Buzz widget. (http://socialmention.com/tools).
4. Accept credit cards at your event without a bank merchant account using your mobile device. Square (http://www.squareup.com) that provides a card reader that turns your mobile device into a credit card machine. They charge a per-transaction fee plus a percentage of each transaction.
5. If you need to share large files with other planners, try DropBox (http://www.dropbox.com). This tool offers free file sharing for up to 2GB of data or professional plans are available. This tool gets around many company email limitations.

We hope that some of these tools will help make your job easier. Check back at the end of July for a few more ideas! And remember, if you need a speaker, call The Expert Speakers at 919.850.0605.

The Importance of Value

I was talking with a VP from a small financial company yesterday. She mentioned that she had considered attending a three-day industry conference in July but had decided against doing so, even though she felt that she should attend for the networking opportunities. When I asked why she had decided not to go, she said that the session descriptions were not very detailed and she simply couldn’t justify time away from her busy job without proof of the value of the event.

The reality is that most business people are extremely busy and must prioritize – this still applies for even short networking/business events. Personal development and training opportunities tend to be pushed down the priority list to begin with. Add on top of that an event where value has not be communicated, and it is tough to justify a decision to attend the event and pay not only the registration fee but the travel expenses. And when you consider getting three days behind and having to play catch-up when you get back to the office, the conference suddenly seems less appealing.

The lesson learned here for anyone planning an event is that communicating value can be the most important thing you do. While many companies have cut budgets for events and travel, most are willing to pay IF the employee is able to justify the expense in terms of benefit to the company. And if you are looking at attending an event, I recommend before you even ask about going that you outline the benefits that you (and the company) will receive if you are allowed to attend the event.

Do you have a good event story to tell? We’d love to hear about your conference and event experiences!

Spreading the Word

Do you have an upcoming event or seminar planned and you need to get the word out? It can be a challenge to get the news of your event in front of folks who might be interested in attending. This is especially true if your budget is limited! So, what are some options for garnering attention?

1.      Good old-fashioned press releases can still be very effective – if the media happens to pick yours up. Some newspapers do have event calendars and will include your event there. Note that some papers will only publish free events at no charge; expect to pay if you want your fee-based event included.

2.      Online PRs geared toward SEO are also an option—though these generally have a price attached to them based on the topic and distribution.

3.      Add the seminar to your Events page on Facebook and post about it (free). Ask fans to tell their friends. If you have the budget, run ads in Facebook targeted at the demographic you are trying to reach.

4.      Include your event on your website with the appropriate keywords and make it easy to register. Then include a link to the page in your e-newsletter in a short article with details about the session.

5.      Find a group whose members would have interest in the topic and ask them to promote it to their members. (LinkedIn is a good place to search for groups.) Optionally, partner with someone else whose interests are similar.

6.       Add the event to meetup.com.

We know how hard it can be to get news of your event in front of the right people, but keep trying! You may have to test several channels to find what works best for you. If you have found a great solution, we'd love to hear from you. Good luck!

Dealing With Feedback

When our speakers address an audience, we always ask for feedback. That doesn’t mean we always get it, but when audience members do take time to respond, we use that feedback to try and improve. Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life that people who respond to surveys or fill out responses frequently either love you or hate you. Those who don’t feel strongly either way sometimes think their responses won’t matter or simply don’t want to bother.

It is important when you do receive feedback that you visibly act upon it. Even if someone is unhappy, if they see you working to fix the complaint they reported, they are much more likely to give you a second chance. More importantly, they are less likely to speak negatively of their experience to friends. It is critical, however, that you do not brush off criticism as if it doesn’t matter.

Negative feedback can be very difficult to hear. Most people have a tendency to take such comments personally and lash out. If the responder provided a name, or if you can tell by the comments alone who the person is, you should never approach them in a confrontational manner. If they did provide their name and you do want to speak with them further, think ahead about how you might approach them. Always begin the discussion with, “I really appreciate your feedback and am working to improve…”

One of my favorite stories to tell goes back to when I first started speaking. I presented at a session beginning at 9 a.m. and collected feedback forms at the end of the session. Everything was positive except for several comments about not providing breakfast. The solution: donuts and juice every time! If you have received feedback that was memorable or was especially funny, we’d love to hear about it. Send us your story at info@theexpertspeakers.com.

Can You Do Too Much Marketing?

Are you tired of the ads, direct mail and phone calls from the political candidates yet? Sometimes it feels like the elections never stop; we just roll from one right into the next. At what point do viewers simply tune out the message?

Major political campaigns are big business. The candidates are marketing themselves to the voters, and they spend a big chunk of change doing it. Those candidates without deep pockets must get creative, taking advantage of free press through debates, town hall meetings and the creative use of social media. Candidates with more money rely heavily on TV and radio ads in the major markets, hire services to call voters to encourage them to get out on election day, send direct mail, etc., etc., etc. 

If we add to this money spent by special interest groups and Super PACs in support of their candidates (just under half a billion dollars in 2011[i]), marketing essentially becomes a free-for-all. And because these groups aren’t directly linked to the candidates, the ads and approach can be down and dirty—in some cases influencing viewers and in others causing them to tune out all political ads.

Statistics are out on the amount of money spent on TV ads by each Republican candidate leading up to Saturday’s South Carolina primary. A combined total of $13.2 million was spent on TV ads alone, with Mitt Romney shelling out $4.7 million, Newt Gingrich spending $2.4 million and Rick Santorum $1.7 million[ii]. Yet, spending more than the second and third place finishers combined on TV ads did not guarantee Romney a win.

A political consultant referenced in The Charlotte Observer article (see end note below) believes that there were so many ads being shown that they simply lost effectiveness. Is this a case of too much marketing? And what do you risk if your competitor has a huge presence and you don’t?

One of the basic tenets of marketing is to know your audience and reach them via the channels they use. This is more than TV and radio, it includes online options and social media. Candidates are still figuring out how best to connect on these channels. When the competition is fierce, however, it’s important to see if you can find creative options to reach your viewers and catch their attention. One opportunity is to make sure your ads are not “typical fare” – make them stand out from the competition. Extremely tough—especially in a political campaign—but sometimes your best option to make marketing work for you. We’d love to hear your thoughts on how you would market yourself if you were running for office. Comment below and let us know!

---

[i] http://www.tvb.org/planning_buying/Political/251654

[ii] The Charlotte Observer, “TV ads didn’t pay off in S.C.,” 1/24/12

Foundations

I was watching a home improvement show last week. The new owners discovered after buying the house that, while the house looked great, some interior walls had been removed to open the space up. Unfortunately, the person who removed the walls had no understanding of structural requirements and a load-bearing wall was taken out, leaving the house and its occupants at risk of harm. This got me thinking about the foundations on which we build.

When you build a business – or a career for that matter – you cannot succeed without a solid foundation. There are certain core building blocks that are necessary and without them you will likely fail. Consider the following questions:

Why does your firm or business exist? What value will you provide to your customers? Consider formalizing a vision, mission and goals.

Who is your primary & secondary target customer? Your product or service will not be a match for every potential consumer. Defining your target will make it easier and less expensive to market.

Do you have a unique sales proposition (USP)? What makes you different from the competition? You must know the answer to this question in order to effectively market yourself.

What does your budget look like? Yup, it’s reality check time. Everyone has budget limits they must adhere to. Know yours and look for the most effective ways to spend your money.

Do you have the support you need? Support can come from many directions. You may need help with specific business skills (i.e., a tax accountant or IT professional) or moral support from family and friends. Build your support network as you go. 

Setting up a solid foundation may take some time, but in the long run this effort is necessary and well worth it. We’d love to hear how you’ve built your foundation. E-mail us at cs@vitalinkweb.com.

Fightin' It Off

I don’t know about you, but it seems like everyone I’ve spoken to over the past two weeks got sick over the holidays. It used to be that you called in sick and stayed home until you were well. With the introduction of new technologies that have us “linked” and accessible 24x7 and the current economy leaving employees insecure about their jobs, we tend to work through any illness that doesn’t land us in the hospital! We’d love to hear what you do when you are sick. Do you:
The good news is that many employers are okay with folks working remotely, so at least the germs aren’t shared at the office. From my point of view, I encourage anyone who works at a restaurant I may frequent to PLEASE stay home when you are ill! If you have other ideas on the best way for employers and workers to deal with cold and flu season, please share them! Aaaachooo!!! And get well soon.