November 2011

5 Ways to Provide a Unique Conference Experience

How often do you attend a conference that does not meet your expectations? Have you listened to speakers that were so dry, boring they even put you to sleep? Conference organizers and presenters have to yet to embrace human differences seriously. All attendees learn differently and all attendees do not have the same kind of mind. Conferences that exceed expectations share common traits and the team at ACE has put together what we believe are the top 5 tips on providing a unique conference experience.

Tip 1. Focus on the strategic and education design of the conference first.

What are the goals of the event? How will you provide a memorable, unique, and remarkable experience? Think strategic first. Then proceed to the logistics and details of the event. Dr. Stephen R. Covey (author of the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) articulated it perfectly when he advised: “Start with the end in mind.”

Tip 2. Think holistically about the attendee experience.

Put the attendee first. What can you do to upgrade the attendee experience? If it fits with the goal of the event, how can you create a unique, themed experience from the first marketing piece to the post-event reflections? How will attendees help create the experience? Think of Starbucks, Ikea or Disney, which all have experiential elements and please stay away from hokey themes, they just never work.

Tip 3. Shake up the traditional conference format.

Do all presentations need to be located at the front of the room? What about using multiple small stages throughout the room? What about in-the-round setups? Think about the music you’ll use for walk-ins and walkouts. Consider the décor as it affects the experience. Provide opportunities for attendees to learn without walls and customize their experience to their own needs.

Tip 4. Invest in quality speakers.

At a minimum, conference organizers must cover conference registration, lodging, travel, and expenses for speakers so stop asking professional speakers to present for free. Think about including incentives into speaker contracts. For example, if a speaker scores 80 to 90% favorable rating from attendees based on your evaluation process, give them a bonus. If they score 91 to 100%, give them a higher bonus. This puts the speaking performance back on the speaker. In addition, think about incorporating a variety of presentation techniques such as case studies, discussion groups, lectures, role plays, panels and provide plenty of adult “white space” to allow attendees to digest information and connect with each other.

Tip 5. What is the best education design possible for a Web 2.0 world?

Is this conference only about those attending the face-to-face event or do you need to engage a larger community including virtual attendees? What social elements can you add to the conference to extend the community experience? Consider providing free Wi-Fi or a bloggers’ lounge? View the face-to-face conference as one touch point within a larger eco-system of the community experience.

September 2011

The 7 C's of Event Planning

Ever plan even the simplest of events and feel overwhelmed? Well, you are not alone, even the best event planners need a bit of help sometimes. Successful event planning entails great attention to detail, outstanding communications skills, the ability to troubleshoot and most importantly to always expect the unexpected. Here are a few lessons we have learned over the years and we promise if you follow these 7 simple steps your next event will go off without a hitch!

1. Create a checklist or critical path

Create a detailed comprehensive list containing all the important tasks, purchases, meetings, activities and dates for your event. Strictly follow the list and execute all tasks in order of priority. A good tip is to allocate a drop dead date to all of your major tasks. Follow up, follow up and follow up.

2. Communicate with your team

Two heads are better than one so share your vision with your team; ask for their advice and expertise. Everyone has different qualities and strengths that they will contribute to the task at hand. Be a strong team leader and delegate fairly. Your team’s help will allow you more time to concentrate on larger or more important tasks.

3. Complete a budget

Money makes the world go round. No matter how much money you have allocated to your event, you must create a budget. List your projected and actual costs. Did you meet your target? Will you need more money next year? Budgets will also aid in revealing any hidden costs such as gratuities, shipping or travel and additional unexpected costs that may arise.

4. Consider logistics

Don’t forget such things as volunteers, marketing, insurance, by-laws, equipment, food and beverage, shipping, travel and accommodations etc...

5. Coordinate marketing and publicity

Consider your target audience; what is the best method to guarantee maximum attendance. Be creative, use social media, guerrilla marketing or even a flash mob dance to bring awareness to your event. Your marketing does not have to be expensive but it must stand out from the pack to work.

6. Consider Plan B

If things don’t go according as planned don’t panic! Always have a Plan B. It is critical to schedule or research a backup plan for all major activities.

7. Conduct an evaluation

Shortly after the event has come to a close, create a post event report. Summarize and evaluate all of your activities. List what worked great and what will not be repeated next time around. Ask your team or attendees for feedback. What did they like most or least. Don’t wait too long; put your thoughts down early so you ensure you capture all the details. This also aids tremendously in planning the event for the next year.

July 2011

SPACE

When selecting your perfect venue or researching potential venues to present to a client, there are numerous variables to consider:

Accessibility:

The proximity of your venue to airports, public transportation, parking and hotels will affect your selection. Elevator and wheel-chair accessible locations will also play a very important role and can be mandatory requirements based on your attendee list.

Availability:

The date and duration of the event are very important. Always keep in mind the set up and tear down dates and times that are required for your particular event. Venues such as museums and historical sites may have limited hours for set up as they are open to the public during the day.

Cost:

Rental fees, food and beverage costs, hotel room rates, travel and transportation, parking and service fees as well as cancelations fees and surcharges should all be taken into consideration. Costs can add up quickly. Ask for discounts, corporate deals, bundling options or possible promotions.

Safety:

One of the most important and overlooked items is the safety of attendees as well as the general public. Political unrest, high crime areas, construction and other potential hazardous conditions should be considered as well and a risk management plan put into place. Additional precautions must be implemented to eliminate or avoid potential injuries, commotions or bad public relations associated with the venue or event.

Space:

Every function requires a unique space. How will the room need to be set up; classroom style, u-shaped, boardroom, theatre? Think of these things before selecting your space as it will be a deciding factor in determining the size of room needed to accommodate your guests. Room dimensions, capacity, space requirements, activities, storage, equipment size and requirements, and most importantly the number of people attending will all need to be calculated carefully when doing your research. Create or ask the venue for a floor map so that you can plan where you will place your supplies, equipment and event activities to ensure that you will have enough space.

Style or Personality:

Conservative, adventurous, rustic, luxurious, unique, traditional, theme-specific; which one describes your event the best? Can you find a venue to fit your style? If not, are you able to use the location as a base and add your own decorations and personality to it?

Facilities:

Take a walk around the venue. Check out the parking lot, the kitchen area and the toilets; are they sufficient to accommodate your event? If not, are you able to bring in extra equipment? What furnishings, equipment or amenities are available to use or incorporate into the event? Are there any additional charges associated with these elements? If you do not ask these questions, you will never know what could be available.

Environmental Factors:

Factors such as the weather, economic health, and scenic beauty should all be observed prior to making a final decision. Vegetation, ecosystems, waste management, sound pollution and the effect of the hundreds and even thousands of people trampling the grounds at an outside venue should be discussed with your venue coordinator prior to signing a contract. There may be restrictions, fees or replacement costs associated with each location. Do some research and be sure to read the contract carefully.

A few more items to consider:

Air Conditioning, Cleanliness, Congested Areas, Decor, Electrical, Freight Elevators, Heating, Kitchen Facilities, Loading Docks, Public Areas, Security, Services Available, Storage, Toilet Facilities Ventilation, Wireless and Internet Access, Security

Venue Possibilities:

Abbeys, Airplanes, Airport Hangers, Amphitheatres, Amusement Parks, Aquariums, Arboretums, Archaeological Sites, Arenas, Artists’ Studios, Atriums, Auditoriums, Aviaries, Banquet Halls, Barns, Beach Clubs, Beaches, Bed-and-Breakfasts, Botanical Parks, Boutiques, Bowling Alleys, Breweries, Building Lobbies, Cafeterias, Campgrounds, Camps, Campuses, Carriage Houses, Casinos, Castles, Caves/Caverns, Celebrity Homes, Cellars, Chateaus, Churches/Synagogues, Cinemas, Civic Squares, City Streets, Clubhouses, Colleges, Community Rooms, Concert Halls, Conference Centers, Conservatories, Corporate Dining Rooms, Country Clubs, Courthouses, Courtrooms, Courtyards, Coves, Cruise Ships, Cruise Terminals, Cultural Centers/Parks, Dance Halls, Depots, Deserts, Empty Buildings/Floors, Entertainment Centers, Equestrian Centers, Estates, Factories, Fairgrounds, Farms, Ferries, Festival Grounds, Fisheries, Forests, Forts, Galleries, Game/Nature Preserves, Garages, Gardens, Golf Courses, Government Buildings, Guest/Dude Ranches, Guesthouses, Gymnasiums, Halls of Fame, Haunted Houses, Health Clubs, Historic Homes, Historic Landmarks, Historic Neighbourhoods, Industrial Lofts, Inns, Laboratories, Labyrinths, Lagoons, Lakes, Libraries, Lighthouses, Manor Houses, Mansions, Marinas, Markets, Military Bases, Movie Sets, Mountaintops, Museums, Music Halls, National Parks, Nightclubs, Observation Lounges, Observatories, Office Buildings, Open Fields, Opera Houses, Orchards, Palaces, Parks, Parking Lots/Structures, Pastures, Pavilions, Performing Arts Centers, Picnic Areas, Piers, Planetariums, Plantations, Playgrounds, Plazas, Pools and Patios, Private Clubs, Private Homes, Public Buildings, Racetracks, Ranches, Recording Studios, Restaurants, Retail Stores, Retreats, Riverboats, Roller/Ice Rinks, Rooftops, Schools, Science Centers, Shopping Malls, Ski Lodges, Skyboxes, Speedways, Sports Domes, Sports Fields, Stables, Stadiums, Storefronts, Taverns, Television Studios, Tennis Courts, Theatres, Theme Parks, Tourists Sites, Town Halls, Trading Floors, Trails, Training Centers, Universities, Villas, Volcanoes, Warehouses, Water Parks, Wineries, Yachts, Zoos.

May 2011

6 Trade Show Tips

Trade shows are events organized where companies are able to showcase and demonstrate a specific a product, service, trend or promotional materials.

The general contractor for most trade shows will supply the booths and layout for the event. However, general convention contractors work in exhibit spaces regularly and have a series of preset plans for maximum efficiency and use of space. As a result, they tend to repeat the same layout. The special event designer working in partnership with the convention contractor may arrive at a dynamic and effective layout that gives maximum exposure to the message.

Here are a few tricks that I've picked up along the way:

1. Think Black - when you are having difficulties matching your corporate colours with your booth. This will help to emphasize your display and signage

2. Shipping - think light. You will save money on shipping and handling fees

3. Always carry a CD or memory stick with your logo and presentation in case your booth set up is delayed or you need to reprint graphics or handouts

4. Trade shows are a great place to research your competition and new technologies. Send someone who looks like a normal attendee to gather information

5. Refrain from using your cell phone or PDA during the trade show. If you need time to check your email or make a call, ensure that you have a representative on the floor and you are out of view from potential clients

6. Create a pocket-size cheat sheet for your team so that they have a reference when initiating contact with potential clients

Stay tuned for more ACE 'Tips and Tricks' coming soon!