BEST PRACTICE
PLANNING
PRIORITY The rules of planning are changing, not because we need to do this differently but because we need to account for the increasing number of elements involved, resulting in more steps and processes to check off on our to-do lists. Meetings delves deeper.
A
s any planner who has been around for two decades or more can tell you, planning a conference in 2020 is not what it was in 1990s, or even before this. The biggest game changers have, of course, been technology and social media, which have not just shifted the way we organise but the way in which delegates engage with events. From Kanban planners to entire apps dedicated to a single event, organisers can structure, book and mobilise each step of their event from any device connected to the internet, all in the palm of their hand.
REGISTRATION Forget barely legible scanned or faxed forms; everything is now captured digitally, making it easier than ever to account for each of
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our delegates and plan for more accurate numbers. A seamless registration process that is digitally automated also ensures that the first experience that your attendees have is one that is easy and fuss-free. This sets a positive tone for the rest of your event, but test your system thoroughly so that you can understand the end-user journey and iron out any bugs before launching it.
SOCIAL MEDIA
for the duration of their event, so that they can go to sessions that are of interest to them while organising time for meetings around these. These are set up in such a way that delegates can accept or decline requests and they can also then notify the delegate of upcoming meetings.
MARKETING
Events as a form of marketing Twenty and communication to our years ago, the audiences are becoming term ‘social media’ increasingly popular was barely a blip on our because of how they are able to deliver radars; however, if utilised an omnichannel successfully, this can do experience. While wonders for your event, physical attendees forming a key touchpoint are important for between you and your the success of an event, events can also be delegates
With social media, events can now be more than a once-off, neverto-be-repeated experience. Providing communication platforms for everybody, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are becoming part of every event’s marketing campaign because the exposure generated has taken the engagement of our target audiences with our events to the next level. For many, this is uncharted territory. Twenty years ago, the term ‘social media’ was barely a blip on our radars; however, if utilised successfully, this can do wonders for your event, forming a key touchpoint between you and your delegates.
livestreamed and outtakes packaged in small, bite-sized videos that can then be broadcast. Once available online, video can then be linked to any social media platform, meaning your event can be distributed across the globe in an instant.
MEETING ORGANISERS Delegates can now have a far more focused and strategic approach to their networking, with event apps that allow for speednetworking or organised meetings with the most relevant players attending an event. Apps can be designed with functionality that allows for attendees to arrange their diaries
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