3 minute read
Re-imagining the Role of the Event Professional
from The PCO April 2021
by IAPCO
ON POINT ARTICLES
RE-IMAGINING THE ROLE OFTHE EVENT PROFESSIONAL
IAPCO Member: AIM Group International Author: Annalisa Ponchia, Director of Innovation and Customer Experience
My question to you is what are your biggest takeaways fromwhat was undoubtedly one of the most difficult of years forevent organisers? I personally have two insights:
Reskill, upskill, learn, listen, ask (the right) questions, openyour mind, analyse data and trends, embrace technology, useall tools at our disposal: this is what we must be prepared for.
1) professional life is a perpetual learning experience 2) the essence of our job is the importance of (mass) social and professional gatherings.
The pandemic has compelled many meeting planners to find solutions to sudden shifts in meeting management. As a first reaction, we were best supporting our clients by replanning scheduled programmes or pivoting them to virtual events.
As event professionals we must develop new competences and embrace new professional roles related to these key areas:
• Meeting Design. For an omni-channel experience, engagement comes through a mix of F2F and online focus groups, social activities to targeted groups, content (physical) hubs, or one-to-one interactions through speed networking or matching.
The meetings and events industry will survive, of that there is no doubt. The desire to ‘meet’ does not end. On the contrary, the importance of human interaction is now more important than ever. What awaits us, according to insiders’ predictions, is a huge shift of perception. And the ultimate modus operandi is to create omni-channel experiences, the hybrid event.
This will raise the bar of the required professionalism and will urge us to reimagine the role of the PCO.
• Digital Tools and Platforms. Choosing the right tech solutions, understanding the right necessities and balancing costs with the organisation’s needs and audience - we need (or to become) tech-savvy experts.
• Data Analytics. Gather and use data to deliver highly personalised events and boost attendee engagement. Furthermore, it can also help organisers to build the agenda of an event based on trends and preferences, identify ideal sponsors and exhibitors, improving targeted promotions.
20| April 2021
ON POINT ARTICLES
As event professionals we must develop new competences and embrace new professional roles
• Communication & Community Management. Promoting the correct event image and awareness, engaging the community, managing social media and facilitating the networking and online social moments are our new specialised duties. An omni-channel marketing strategy commits to providing consistent, on-brand communications across multiple customer touchpoints.
• Content Management. On demand content offers the possibility to ‘consume’ ‘anytime, anyplace, anywhere’, adding value to a one-shot schedule.
• Speaker & Moderator Coaching. Dealing with multi- platform events, will require additional effort from speakers to adapt messages to different channels. Coaching the speakers should come mainly from the meeting planner. A professional moderator/master of ceremonies can help keep everyone concentrating utilising breaks strategically.
• Virtual Sponsorship & Exhibition. Virtual meetings are not simply a lead-generation machine, we must help sponsors and exhibitors to change their mindset and identify the marketing insights they are getting out of their participation and investment.
• RoI analysis. Take the time after the event to look at potential leads, attendance numbers, floor traffic, networking connections, activity, and get those numbers that will justify their interest next year. But there is more to it than that because it is not just your RoI. You have Exhibitors’ RoI, Attendee RoI and Client’s RoI. Mastering the basics of RoI analysis should be in the portfolio of skills of any meeting planner, with tools and resources readily available, to learn what is necessary.
Embrace lifelong learning as it will increase our professionalism as well as our personal lives.
Image source: Adobe Stock
| April 202121
