In the April edition of Management Today, Luke Johnson, chairman of Risk Capital Partners shared his thoughts on traditional conferences and seminars: I think the era of the PowerPoint presentation is over. Now no one wants to sit in a business meeting and listen to someone lecturing at length, accompanied by a series of slides. Perhaps people never did. This generation demands interaction and participation. Lengthy, transmit-only monologues are dead. I couldn’t agree with him more. Both as a conference organiser and a delegate I’ve sat through countless presentations and I can’t recall any more than a handful. Some of [...]
Event sponsorship – the Wavecast® way
Like every other promotion, event sponsorship is coming under increasing scrutiny by marketing departments who need to demonstrate clear ROI on their expenditure. A logo in the conference programme, some onsite branding and a mention in the Chair’s address deliver awareness, but without measurable results their value is easily questioned. However, sponsorship revenues remain a cornerstone of many event budgets. By recognising the core deliverables required by sponsoring organisations, it is possible to not only protect existing income but also reach out to new revenue generators. What do sponsors expect you to deliver? Data: not just new leads but also [...]
Case study: multi-session Wavecast®
With access to the data from a wide cross section of clients across all sectors, it’s easy for us to see how well Wavecasts® perform in terms of delivering engaged participants. In order to give you an insight into the figures, we have created the generic case study which you can download from the link below. All of the results are based on a live Wavecast® which delivered for a client, who for confidentiality reasons is not identified in the document. Wavecast Pro – multi-session case study – March 2013 The case study illustrates very clearly a number of important, and unique, [...]
Marketing your online event
B2B event marketing is typically feature lead, with collateral focussing on all the potential benefits of attending. So much so that in some cases it is difficult to find any specific detail. Databases tend to be large and content marketing strategy more reactive than planned. This general approach is fine providing the total audience reaches the levels expected by commercial partners, speakers and the attending delegates. However, with delegate and visitor numbers static or falling across all industry sectors isn’t it time to consider a different approach? When transferring or expanding activity into online/hybrid events it is important to remember [...]
Passive vs Active
Participants: Formerly known as your audience au-di-ence The assembled spectators or listeners at an event par-tic-i-pant A person who takes part in something The difference in the definition couldn’t be any clearer. One group of individuals is there to be talked at; the other wants to take an active role in the discussion. Of the two types of interaction, which will be more memorable? Research shows that knowledge and information is most likely to be remembered and acted upon where it is delivered in a multi-dimensional form which involves the participation of the learner. Best practices are the result of [...]
Start lean. Grow fast.
Be more innovative. Stop wasting people’s time. Be more successful. Not my words but those of Eric Ries, the author recognised for pioneering the Lean Startup Movement. It’s a mantra that could (or should) be applied to any and every organisation that wants to adapt and grow in today’s fast-paced global business environment. We’ve adopted the principles of The Lean Startup for our own business because it makes sense for a technology company. We have to learn from everyone we interact with; from our developers to our broadcast engineers to our clients, because that’s how we can improve everything [...]
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Associations to embrace online events?
Associations to embrace online events?
Many associations are concerned that a hybrid conference will reduce footfall at a live event, reduce revenue and market share. This is true to an extent isn’t it? What would be your counter argument? I don’t happen to think this is true and believe that a well executed hybrid event would actually deliver the opposite affect. I often ask “what percentage of your membership base actually attends your physical event?” The figure normally sits around the 10% mark. What about the other 90%? The peripheral members that can’t or simply won’t come along. What are you doing to engage them? [...]
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Embrace Cannibalism
Embrace Cannibalism
Where virtual events are concerned, it’s time to put the issue of audience cannibalisation to bed once and for all and embrace the concept of market colonisation instead. Here’s a scenario for you to consider: Your organisation runs an annual conference and exhibition. The attendance figures are steady and you are attracting on average between five and ten per cent of your calculated total universe. Exhibitor and sponsor numbers are holding up and revenue is on target. So far so good. Two years ago you introduced a specialist pavilion for one of the sectors of the industry you serve. It’s [...]