Spotlights*
September 4, 2013 • by Jane Carter
Q&A Panel Series Part 2
3 Experts Share Their Experiences To A Successful Event
Amazing events just don’t happen! There is so much planning and organizing that takes into place. We’ve asked 3 leading experts to share their tips and experiences from within the event planning industry. After their expert advice, be sure to join the conversation in the comments. From your experiences, what are the top three things to do or consider to make an event successful? Liz King @lizkingevents:- People attend events for education, networking and fun. Many people forget the fun. If your event looks like everyone else’s, you aren’t going to keep attention. Innovate regularly and make fun a critical component of your event.
- You also need to consider your audience and meet them where they are. If you want to integrate technology in your event, you have to take into consideration the habits of your attendees. Same with any other aspect of your event.
- Finally, be willing to pay for success. Invest in marketing and promotional giveaways. Think about the ultimate experience and be willing to invest in that vision.
Liz King started her first company in 2010 in the midst of the down economy. By sharing content on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, she gained expertise in the event planning industry and has become a leader and influencer. Named one of the 40 Under 40 Up-and-Coming Event Planners in 2011 by Connect Magazine and awarded the #Eventprofs Most Thought Provoking Blog and People’s Choice Award created a platform for Liz to build her business and strong brand even further. Working with clients on events like Green Drinks NYC and S.H.E. Summit Week, Liz helps entrepreneurs integrate technology into their events to better engage their attendees. In addition, she also hosts her own events. As the founder of The Planner Collective and co-founder of PlannerTech, Liz is dedicated to educating her fellow event professionals as well on how technology can enhance events.
Jessica Young @volunteerSpot :
- Volunteer Management: Volunteer coordination in a timely and convenient manner gets more people involved to help your event be a success. Free online sign up sheets & automated reminders fromVolunteerSpot are your go-to solution for event volunteer management.
- Social Media: Reaching out to potential participants and donors via social media is a must-do tactic to throwing a successful event. Facebook and twitter for networking, publicizing, and recruiting volunteers is a must.
- Volunteer Appreciation: Even before your event, thanking the important people who are helping put it on gives your whole event an even more positive vibe, increases the loyalty of your volunteers and donors, and makes folks more likely to stay engaged with your organization.
Jessica Young is the Community Manager for VolunteerSpot.com, the leading free online signup and volunteer scheduling tool. She gets to engage with a community of do-gooders on Facebook and Twitter while providing expertise on recruiting and engaging volunteers and fundraisers with content marketing and social media.
Kristen Morado @ildlighting:- Consider your target market that you’re reaching out to and think of all the sources and media outlets that can attract that specific audience to your event.
- There has to be a motive to get people to attend your event. Ask yourself what the purpose of the event is and go from there.
- There MUST be a itinerary set to make sure the overflow runs smoothly. All details must be considered including time frames, areas within the venues that have electrical outlets nearby, areas that won’t cause traffic jams, etc.