A guide | How to plan and manage successful events

Home / A guide | How to plan and manage successful events

Managing events to get a full return on investment. Positive outlooks and post-event optimisation.

Allround Creative helps companies to design events, from user groups to 1000 delegate conferences. We help customers from venue finding to on-the-day event management so that events go without a hitch and customers achieve their objectives.

A successful event requires meticulous pre-planning, rehearsal and post-event follow-up. A successful event requires that everyone involved has a positive frame of mind that transfers to guests at the event.

Full event commitment to achieve full ROI

Many companies rely on events and trade shows to generate awareness, build client and partner relations, and sell in verticals or regionally.

Those who are successful make a full commitment in terms of pre-show and post-show activity, as well as working the event or exhibition hall hard on the day.

Companies that make less commitment to their event tend to stand out for several wrong reasons. It’s fairly evident that they expect a rapid ROI although they haven’t invested fully in their event design or their stand or visitor engagement strategy.

Stand botherers and acts of generosity

It’s not uncommon to hear people manning the stands of the uncommitted refer to stand visitors as “pen stealers.” A clear indication that they want a quick sales transaction and are less interested in building mutually rewarding commercial relationships.

One wouldn’t want to think that someone working a trade show stand might actually believe that someone should spend £1,000 or $10,000 to warrant a 10 cents pen or 20 pence cup of popcorn.

However, let’s return to what trade show success looks like. In our social lives, ‘giving’ forms an important part of how we engage with other people, whether it’s in the form of food, time, advice or some other gift.

Who is beautiful at the beauty parade?

So it is with brand leaders and confident companies. They are generous with their time, their personalities, and with their samples and gifts. It is these acts of generosity and warmth that mark them out from the more cynical crowd. By extension, their products and services are likely to have more appeal in an exhibition hall that essentially constitutes a beauty parade.

Even if it is a student who is not in a position to purchase, a product leader will have an eye on its industry’s welfare and nurturing interest, or on its own talent acquisition programme.

Warmth and a confident stance

The fact that you have decided to run an event or have a stand at a show suggests that you can claim to be expert in your field. So what else? Remove the barriers to engagement and express your company’s personality and confidence, as well as its technical capabilities, in order to convey a warm welcome. In short, behave like a leader, regardless of your event budget.

When we see you next, I hope you’ll welcome us on stand and graciously offer us a USB stick, pen, ice cream or in-vogue fitness wearable. Mouse mats and stress balls seem to have had their day.

Capture your event for posterity

Having committed a budget to your event, will it be over after its over? Consider how you could extend its life-span, in writing, in feedback, on film - an across multiple channels, in sales presentaations, web sites, social media, customer communications and the trade press.

At The Allround Creative Agency we do a lot of filming, writing and publishing to help customers to get at least an extra six months advantage from their event investment. If you are planning a series of events, having a tangible record helps to 'sell' the next one.