Three rules to live by…

Tip One: Write the survey first.

The first step in planning any event should be to write the survey. Yet most surveys are written somewhere near the actual event, when there are far too many things to be worrying about. Writing a survey ahead of time frames the entire event, and provides its direction. It will also show all the stakeholders involved what each of them assume the main driver of success is. And, it will also force the question of how success is to be measured in hard numbers following the event. Once these metrics are set, the goals of the event come into much sharper focus

Tip Two: Every event has VIPs.

Often an organization hosting an event will assume it does not have any VIPs attending simply because there are no well-known names. However, there are always VIPs at every event. They may be your best customers, they may be your boss, or they may be the speaker that you’ve worked so hard to get. Regardless, they will require special attention. Their experience may end up counting more than all the attendee surveys put together, and so their experience has to be carefully thought about as much as the event itself. In other words, if the president of the company shows up and no one meets him in the lobby, it’s not going to bode well, regardless of how well the presentations go.

Tip Three: Incorporate brand values.

An event is a real-time experience with your brand. Whether you are a non-profit, a corporation, or an individual, make sure that the event exudes the values that you want to promote. The attendeees need to feel that they have had an experience with the characteristics that define your organization. That memory will stay with them long past any logo or slogan.