by admin | Jun 24, 2014 | Destinations, Planning & Logistics
What factors do you consider when deciding where to hold your event? The location can play a key role for your guests when deciding whether to attend your event or not. To ensure you get maximum attendance every time, here are some elements to consider when choosing the perfect location for your event. A combination of the below is the key to making the right choice. Location Is probably THE most important factor. Whether your guests are flying in or simply making their way across town, the location sets the tone for the style of your event. It’s the first impression guests have before any other elements take place so make sure you choose to hold your event in a venue that aligns with the outcome you are trying to achieve. Wow factor Does your venue have that ‘something special’ about it? Will it help ensure your event stays top of mind of the guests long after they have left? Finding a venue that is new, recently refurbished or is styled uniquely are all ways of ensuring a great first impression. Choose a venue with a point of difference and your event will have a point of difference too. Accessibility Ensuring straightforward access for guests is paramount. Is parking readily available and affordable? Is the venue easy to find? Do guests need a map and directions? Is public transport to and from the venue an option? Is there any restrictions in place in terms of size or type of vehicles and access times? Ensure you have investigated these points and provided your guests with instruction prior to the event...
by admin | May 26, 2014 | Planning & Logistics
Do you spend valuable time trying to manage the multiple aspects of your event, all the time thinking if only you had some effective systems and processes in place how much more productive you and your team would be? There are some simple tools you can implement that will help you be extremely effective in time management therefore ensuring the other aspects of your role don’t suffer and send your stress levels soaring! Critical Path When you have a number of suppliers all with their own contractual requirements and timeframes for payments and communication of information, you need one document to manage all this information, this is where your critical path comes in. Not only does this provide one “go to” document when more than one team member is working on an event, but using this tool enables you to effectively manage all suppliers by reducing time spent on referring back to numerous documents as well as ensuring relationships with suppliers are kept at optimum levels by staying on top of contractual obligations to them. Budget Ensuring you have an itemised, line by line account of all supplier costs as well as all monies being received and paid out will ensure most importantly that you keep to the budget that has been set. In addition, having a central document to update costs as they change ensures you know at all times where the important financial commitments of your event are sitting. Templates More often than not you are communicating the same or similar information to various suppliers. Having templates set up prior to the event, saves valuable time in repeating...
by admin | Apr 28, 2014 | Planning & Logistics
Also known as event greening, is the process used to produce an event with particular concern for environmental, economic and social issues. Sustainability in event management incorporates socially and environmentally responsible decision making into the planning, organisation and implementation of, and participation in, an event and is becoming more and more relevant in our society today. So how can you produce a sustainable event? There are many ways, but here’s a few to get you started; Green Purchasing The materials, supplies and products used to produce an event all have the potential for negative environmental impacts. Through environmentally preferable purchasing reductions in these areas, impact can be achieved back up the supply chain. Options to reduce environmental impacts of purchasing can be achieved through such things as including organic, fair trade, FSC or other sustainable forestry products, sustainably produced foods and products made from sustainable and recyclable materials, etc. such as conference satchels and note pads. Venue, Accommodation and Destination Ensuring that the choice of destination, accommodation and venue is suitable for the requirements of the event and the attendee demographic can be key in reducing unnecessary travel and boosting local economy. By sourcing local suppliers, the carbon footprint of the event will be reduced dramatically as suppliers will not need to transport themselves, products or services to the event. Transport Transport requirements for events produce high levels of carbon emissions, and consume large amounts of energy. Small changes can have a big impact on the carbon footprint of an event, and can reduce harmful emissions. Whether it be an international event where you can reduce carbon emissions by...
by admin | Apr 7, 2014 | Event Content
Engaging a keynote speaker can be a great way to help reinforce your message to your audience. A few points to remember when choosing a keynote speaker are; Relevance It is imperative the speaker is “on topic”. This means being clear on the outcome you want to deliver and will ensure the speaker stays consistent with the overall message you want your guests to take away. Engaging there may be many speakers that meet your brief, but will your audience engage with them? Be sure to take the time to research their previous speaking engagements, the audiences they have spoken to and most importantly get referrals or feedback from those that have used him/her in the past. This will not only ensure value for money but a lasting impression with your audience. Accessible There is no better way to ensure your audience is better connected to the message being delivered than to give them the opportunity to ask questions and even have conversations with your keynote after the actual presentation. If your guests are engaged they will want to cement their experience with some sort of contact with the speaker. Not only does this give your guests a memorable experience, it shows you have definitely chosen the right person to...
