Felicia Asiedu, senior marketing manager for Cvent Europe reveals the skills planners should build on now to deliver compelling event programmes in 2021 and beyond...
Our industry may have moved online for the time being, but virtual, hybrid and in‐person events are here to stay as part of a blended, more well‐rounded, total event programme.
To deliver compelling programmes in 2021 and beyond, planners must now build on their expertise to include both virtual and hybrid event management skills. As companies continue to grasp the significance of digital and hybrid events, there are career propelling benefits for planners that up‐skill, as they can position themselves as the 'go‐to' within the company or the 'must‐have' industry hire. With this in mind, I highlight six key strategies planners should understand and embrace to bolster and expand their current skill set.
Understand and get familiar with new tech
As technology has become more prevalent in the planning process it’s important to understand the building blocks of virtual and hybrid events and recognise that one form of event delivery does not fit all types of events. By first understanding virtual event practices and matching those to your event goals and engagement strategies you can select creative, audience-driven, technology solutions that help to deliver ROI and ROE (Return on Experience). Remember you are not alone – reach out to associations, tech partners, suppliers, and venues to see how they can support the events you want to produce.
Understand virtual event analytics
Results matter and with virtual events you can capture and measure more engagement touchpoints than ever before if you have the right technology. Maximising these engagements points pre, during and post-event is key to proving ROI. Make sure to leverage an event platform that gives you the actionable insights you need to help review KPIs and optimise return on your event (ROE). Go with a provider that offers software packages or built‐in dashboards that support the aggregation of metrics that track the attendee journey through the entire virtual and physical aspects of all the events you run. This data can be utilised to enrich the event experience and can also uncover future marketing and sponsorship opportunities.
Felicia Asiedu
Understand how to increase sponsorship in a digital environment
While you may have sponsorship down to a fine art for in‐person events, virtual events shouldn’t rely on the same sponsorship options. Hosting your event in a digital environment creates additional value propositions for brand awareness and lead generation. So, provide sponsors with unique opportunities that fit within the content and context of the event so that it feels natural. Leverage event tech to enable sponsors to maximise their ROI through sponsored sessions, splash pages, gamification, push notifications, virtual booths, pre‐scheduled appointments and email marketing. More value attracts more sponsorship, and the data gathered pre, during and post-event can prove that impact. Use the analytics and data from your event technology platform to show impact.
Embrace production skills
Technical production expertise is useful to plan and create impactful virtual events. Level‐up and be able to speak to videography, staging, lighting, editing and basic bandwidth requirements based on the number of expected attendees. You can still rely on agencies and AV specialists, but knowing the limits and possibilities of technical production at the earliest stages of planning online and hybrid events is a win.
Embrace the role of the event technologist
The growth of virtual and hybrid events, coupled with the rise of meeting and event technology, has created a need for a new type of event planner: an event technologist. Are you naturally tech-savvy? if the answer is yes, then this role could be just the ticket with some up‐skilling. Event technologists will play a critical role in companies going forward for planning and implementing the technology strategy including sourcing optimal tech of their organisation’s events programmes. This role frees up valuable bandwidth that planners can allocate to logistical issues or higher‐level event strategy.
Embrace the learning curve
As the industry is constantly evolving it’s wise to be proactive with your own skills development. Access structured learning through accredited courses and get professional certifications through courses that can be done on your schedule. Many accredited bodies and event technology specialists are offering complimentary training and valuable content during the pandemic, so don’t miss out on the opportunity. Also, keep abreast of trends and new technology via alerts, utilise free resources such as e‐books, and engage with associations and industry peers as varying perspectives will help you make informed decisions in the future.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
