Category: Attendee Engagement

Thanksgiving planning like a pro: tried and tested strategies

Posted on by Eventsforce

Family enjoying Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving planning is no mean feat. Like any other occasion, it has its own logistics and practicalities, yet Turkey Day is a banquet of epic proportions, a cornucopia of endless culinary iterations (you’re either Team Apple Pie or Team Pumpkin Pie, OK?) and often — as any gathering of family and friends is wont to be — a feast of deep and rich emotions.

Bearing in mind the complexities of the day — the large and sometimes disparate guest list, your diners’ multiple dietary requirements, the obsession with perfect timing, the endless simmering (of both gravy and feuds) — we at Eventsforce wondered what it would be like if we applied some of the planning tactics familiar to every event professional to organise and pull off a perfect Thanksgiving. So without further ado — and because every Thanksgiving chef is well and truly a planner at heart — this is your perfect Turkey Day, portioned out, plated up and served with efficiency thanks to the power of professional event planning.

  1. Define the Day and Choose the Date — With Care

A thoughtful host and a careful planner begins by naming and defining the purpose of their occasion. For many Americans and those around the globe with a broad awareness of American culture, Thanksgiving speaks for itself. However, there are many for whom the day is entirely foreign; bear this in mind and be prepared to describe the holiday to give context to anyone not familiar with Thanksgiving festivities. In the US and its territories, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, which is a public holiday. As those marking the day overseas well know, Thanksgiving is not observed internationally and so you’ll want to schedule your feast for a weekend and/or a time appropriate to the surrounding culture (i.e., avoiding local days of religious observance, etc.).

  1. Pause and Prep for effective Thanksgiving planning

What’s a planner without a schedule? In terms of overall preparation, a savvy Thanksgiving host begins their initial preparations approximately a month to three weeks out from the big day. Here’s a rough timeline for your Thanksgiving preparations; feel free to add in your own points and adjust, as needed:

  • 1 month to three weeks before: know your budget, select your date, have a rough estimate for guest figures, choose your venue
  • Three to two weeks before: create a WhatsApp group/some kind of platform to communicate with guests, issue invites with RSVPs, set your menu, order turkey, verify freezer space for cooking ahead (see next point)
  • One week before: ensure you have enough seating, cutlery, plates, glasses, mugs etc., for everyone in attendance, cook/freeze side dishes
  • Three days to one day before: defrost turkey/pick-up fresh bird, check that your  roasting tin is large enough and that your turkey and tin can fit in the oven, defrost your sides and create an on-the-day masterlist for cooking timings
  • On the day: Cook and rest turkey, make your mash, bake rolls and heat through sides, gravy and pies

  1. Selecting the Venue, Setting the Time

A professional event planner may have multiple venues up for consideration, but your home — with its familiar kitchen — is absolutely your best bet. There is nothing more disorienting than cooking Thanksgiving for a crowd in an unfamiliar kitchen. On that note, if you decide to use an alternative venue, do as any planner would do and familiarise yourself with the space ahead of time, making a note of where pots, pans, plates, dishes, cutlery and all utensils are stored. Test the oven to ensure that you know both how to adjust the temperature and also if it runs hotter or cooler than your appliance at home.

When you set your time for the occasion, take into account the intricacies of your menu (for example, a whole turkey takes much longer to cook than a crown), the schedules of your guests, the size of your oven and even things such as the nap schedules of smaller diners. HINT: when setting the time, suggest an early afternoon sitting to allow your guests to enjoy a leisurely meal, a point that also enables you to avoid cleaning up late into night.

  1. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

You might already have a reasonable idea of who you want to invite to your Thanksgiving feast, but it’s wise to firm things up with a more formal invite, issued via the platform most convenient to your guests. Unlike a professional planner, you won’t have a bespoke app at your disposal for the occasion, but consider setting up a WhatsApp group specifically for the day. After all, all you really want is a platform that will enable you to communicate with guests directly both in the run up to and on the day of your Thanksgiving feast.

Once you’ve issued invites — preferably with some kind of RSVP to enable you to move forward with a precise number of guests — you can use this forum to provide arrivals with information on points like transport options for getting to your venue and, if needed, details on parking.

  1. Menu Madness with a side of Guest Engagement

Now is the time to plan your feast in earnest. With your platform set up, you can easily gather information on any dietary requirements. In keeping with convention, the traditional Thanksgiving feast is comprised of the following core dishes:

– Turkey

– Stuffing

– Mashed potatoes and gravy

– Cranberry sauce

– Green bean casserole

– Sweet potato casserole

– Dinner rolls

– Pumpkin OR apple pie

Depending on your personal custom, taste, diet and budget, you may not follow this exact menu and instead opt for a variation on these foods. But know that once invited, guests may offer to bring certain menu items. While this level of enthusiastic engagement certainly is the stuff of planners’ dreams, you should — as the person who is ultimately responsible for feeding your guests — consider these offers with care. After all, should someone volunteer to cook one of the above key items and then either forget their offer or be unable to attend on the day, this hole in the menu will create serious last-minute stress for you.

So, to any kind offers of help, you may want to ask volunteers to bring a dish or an item that — while perhaps not traditional to the Thanksgiving table (hello vegan quiche) — if forgotten or not made, won’t ruin your feast. With this diplomatic and discreet tactic, your guests are actively participating in the occasion, but you still have full control over this event in the culinary sense.

  1. Maximise Time and Budget: Shop and Cook with Care

Like any other planner, you need to maximise your time and your budget and so it pays to carefully comb through your freezer, fridge and cupboards to see what you can use to shave both pennies and seconds off your pre-Thanksgiving shop. Take the time to walk back through your menu — down to the individual recipe ingredients — and try to incorporate what you already have in your cupboard into your meal — be it spices, tea or coffee, potatoes, onions or a few bottles of wine for the table. Anything you can find will help lessen the cost of your feast.

If, like many modern hosts, you find yourself cooking for guests with multiple dietary restrictions, you’d be wise to find a recipe that meets all requirements (rather than cooking multiple variations of a single recipe). For example, if you’re catering for vegetarians as well as those who are gluten and dairy-free, you can easily make a vegetarian gravy with cornflour that suits these requirements and still tastes absolutely delicious. Most importantly, if you work ahead, cranberry sauce, sweet potato and green bean casseroles, rolls, gravy, stuffing and pies can all be made in advance, frozen and then defrosted a day or so ahead of Thanksgiving to be heated through on the big day.

  1. Find a (Sober) Second in Command to help with your Thanksgiving planning

Even with the best organisation and preparation, the frank truth of Thanksgiving is that you’ll still be spending a lot of the day in the kitchen. As the chef and chief organiser, you know your timings and what needs to be done exactly when and that’s why it pays to delegate any other tasks — be they cleaning, setting up, decorating, answering queries via your WhatsApp channel or greeting guests (and keeping them out of the kitchen!) to a trusted second in command. But before you do this, talk them through what you need and expect from them on the day because — just as with any other event — communication is absolutely key to the success of your Thanksgiving. Likewise, if you need and expect them to be stone cold sober for the day, be honest with them (and buy them a nice bottle of wine for later).

  1. Handling Disagreements, No-Shows and Leftovers

The gravy’s not always the only thing that simmers on Thanksgiving and so — when it comes to handling familial disagreements and tensions — if you feel an assigned seating chart will help keep things civil, feel free to draw one up. Likewise, if you know that you can rely on your guests and your second in command to resolve any issues that might crop up, don’t worry about assigned seating. But if you are worried about any extra prickly guests or potentially awkward situations, speak to your number two to agree on a strategy to handle these so as not to impact the overall good vibes of your day.

Family tensions aside, the other things you can always rely on at Thanksgiving are no-shows and leftovers. Whether it’s down to illness or a scheduling conflict, it’s frustrating to realise that you may have over-catered your event. But if you are aware of no-shows even just a few hours in advance, you can always ask your guests to come with empty containers in hand, explaining that they’d be doing you a huge favour by taking some extra food home with them. You’ll find that many are only too happy to oblige and — what’s more — that this level of guest participation makes you look extra generous, all while cannily relieving you of the burden of leftovers.

  1. No, Thank You!

Yes, of course your guests should be thanking you for your outstanding culinary efforts. But even if your Thanksgiving planning doesn’t quite go to plan (and what event does?), there’s nothing that adds an extra glow to the day like a gracious host. This is precisely why you need to deploy a final tried-and-trusted planning strategy and offer your thanks to your guests when the day is done. After all, they have given you their time, their attention and — of course — their willingness to eat sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows (hey, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea).

Indeed, by being a grateful host, you’re the living embodiment of everything that this unique day — whether you’ve celebrated it before or not — truly symbolises. And what’s more, by striking a gracious note, you — as the chef, the host and the planner — are setting exactly the right tone for next year’s feast and for all the good things yet to come.

 

Running live, virtual or hybrid events? Want to maiximise event success like you’ve done with your thanksgiving planning? Give your attendees an event experience they’ll remember with technology you can rely on. Learn how Eventsforce can make your next event fabulous and successful. Book your personalised demo now.

Eventsforce Launches a New Mobile App Designed to Drive Event Planning Success

Posted on by Eventsforce

 

LONDON, UK — Eventsforce, powered by Simpleview, has released the Eventsforce mobile app — a scalable event app solution designed to drive event planning success. The new mobile app utilizes an upgraded technology stack to help inspire, engage, and connect event attendees.

Eventsforce, an intuitive, all-in-one solution that can scale to meet your ever-changing event portfolio needs, created the mobile app to engage attendees and drive event success. Whether you’re running simple events, tradeshows, or multi-stream conferences — the new app gives users everything needed to drive attendee participation and build lasting relationships while reducing reliance on the traditional paper program guide.

The app benefits event attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, organizers, and everyone in between by boasting the following key features:

  • Intuitive and easy-to-use
  • Integration with all major AMS/CRM and event management systems
  • Mobile and desktop access
  • Advanced QR code scanning features
  • Capability to boost attendee engagement with gamification and engagement features
  • The ability for attendees to create personalized schedules, connect with other attendees and sponsors, and stay up-to-date

On the event planner’s end, the app can be used for:

  • Engaging sponsors and exhibitors
  • Controlling all aspects of the event, including branding, content, and menus
  • Lead scanning for exhibitors and sponsors
  • Revenue-generation and analytics reporting

“The future of event tech is all about creating personalized and engaging experiences for attendees,” said VP of Growth Andrius Remeikis. “Our newly launched mobile app is designed to help event planners do just that, by providing them with the tools needed to connect with attendees on a deeper level and drive business outcomes.”

Give attendees a mobile event experience they’ll remember, before, during, and after the event, with technology they can rely on.

 

Don’t miss out. Find out more and get in touch!

Crafting a Captivating and Compelling Event Agendas: A Guide for Event Planners

Posted on by Eventsforce

As an event planner, you’ll be well aware of the power that compelling event agendas can bring to any occasion.  A tool for engagement and excitement, a well-structured agenda not only helps to captivate your audience, but can actively serve as the successful foundation of your event.  This blog will explore the finer points of crafting an exciting agenda, one that will help you to create an event that offers all of your delegates a memorable, meaningful and valuable experience.

First and Foremost: Define Your Event Objectives

Before you commit yourself to creating those all-important event agendas — and as with any other aspect of event planning — it’s crucial to define the primary objectives of your occasion.  Whether you want to educate, entertain or inspire your delegates, by clearly defining your goals, you’ll be able to shape your agenda to align with the overall purpose of your event.

Know Your Audience and Tailor Your Offering to Their Needs

Likewise, it’s impossible to create a finely tailored agenda without knowing your audience.  As an event planner, you should work to understand not only their interests and expectations, but also your delegates’ pain points.  Once you know and understand your audience, you can then work to create a bespoke agenda, one that is tailored exactly to their needs.

Mix and Match Content Types

Variety, as they say, is the spice of life, but it’s also the key to creating an engaging agenda. By mixing and matching diverse sessions — think keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, interactive sessions and entertainment segments — you can keep your content lively and your attendees engaged.

Schedule Sessions Strategically

When it comes to event agendas, timing is everything.  If you can, avoid scheduling similar sessions back-to-back to prevent burnout and add breaks between sessions to encourage organic networking and relaxation. If at all possible, take into account your attendees’ daily routines when setting your agenda. After all, a well-timed lunch or coffee break can make a big difference in terms of re-energising attendees so that you have their full attention throughout the duration of your event.

Highlight Key Speakers

If your event features notable speakers or industry experts, be sure to give them a prominent place on your agenda. Their presence can help to attract attendees while lending credibility to your occasion.  Also, by promoting their sessions well in advance, you can enjoy the added bonus of creating and building a sense of anticipation around your event.

Create Engaging Titles and Descriptions

Use descriptive, action-oriented language to create session titles and descriptions that pique the curiosity of your attendees.  Try to avoid generic titles that don’t offer a sense of what delegates can expect from the content you’re providing; choose language that clearly conveys the value of each session.

Use Apps to Your Advantage

Leverage technology to full effect by ensuring that your agenda is readily available via your dedicated event app.  This gives your attendees the freedom to choose and select the sessions that interest them most.

Encourage Audience Interaction

Audience engagement can play a considerable role in the success of your event.  By incorporating interactive elements into your agenda — think Q&A sessions, polls and live demos — you’ll encourage attendees to share their thoughts and questions throughout the course of your event.

Showcase Sponsors and Exhibitors

If you have sponsors or exhibitors, be sure to offer them dedicated slots in your agenda.  Not only will this allow them to showcase their products and services, but it could provide attendees with valuable industry insight and knowledge.

Plan for Flexible Event Agendas

Because even the best-laid plans can encounter unexpected changes or delays, try to build flexibility into your agenda to accommodate any unforeseen circumstances.  Think of backup activities or shorter sessions that can be inserted into your event as needed, ensuring that this content matches with the overall flow and atmosphere of your event.

Gather Feedback on Your Event Agendas

Finally, after your event, be sure to collect and analyse feedback from your attendees to understand what elements worked well and, likewise, what elements can be improved upon.  Armed with this information, you can use these points to fine-tune the agendas of your future events.

Serving as a kind of roadmap to guide attendees through each and every occasion, a well-built agenda is a vital part of your event.  And yet, when carefully planned and expertly tailored, an agenda becomes not just a simple session-by-session guide but a compelling tool for excitement and engagement.

 

Running live, virtual or hybrid events? Want to maiximise event success? Give your attendees an event experience they’ll remember with technology you can rely on. Learn how Eventsforce can make your next event fabulous and successful. Book your personalised demo now.

Mastering the Art of Event Attendance: A Comprehensive Guide for Planners

Posted on by Eventsforce

Room full of people attending an event

 

There’s nothing quite as gratifying as hosting a well-attended event.  It may look effortless, but behind the high turnout and the buzzy atmosphere, there is — as every planner knows — nothing but careful preparation and hard work.  A key indicator of event success, attendance should never be taken for granted.  But as this blog explores, there are certain tactics that planners can reliably lean on to pull in the crowds to create an occasion that is memorable, meaningful and valuable.

  1. Start Right With a Clear Vision

Before you begin planning in earnest, define the purpose and objectives of your event.  This will ensure that you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve while allowing you to tailor your decision-making process to appeal to your target audience.

  1. Know Your Audience

On that point, it’s absolutely crucial for planners to know and understand their audience — especially if maximum event attendance is the goal.  By researching and gathering data on preferences, interests and demographics, you as a planner will be able to build an event that piques your attendees’ interest at a personal level, encouraging them through the door and into your event.

  1. Mix and Match Tactics for a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy

An effective marketing strategy plays a key part in driving event attendance and so it makes sense for planners to deploy a rich mix of traditional and digital marketing tactics to reach potential attendees.  To that end, consider the following ideas:

  • The creation of a bespoke, compelling event website.  This should be well-designed and user-friendly and contain all essential event details — including registration information — as well as engaging content.
  • The savvy use of social media.  Because you’ve already done your research into your audience, you’ll know their favoured platforms.  Take the time to promote your event on these channels and be sure to include striking visuals, event teasers, and carefully targeted ads. Social is a great place to tap into your attendees’ sense of FOMO, all the while playing up your event as an unmissable occasion.
  • A carefully deployed email marketing campaign.  Once you’ve built your list, craft personalised invitations and updates to keep delegates and potential attendees up-to-speed with your event.
  • Make the most of collaborations and partnerships.  Work with influencers, industry leaders, or complementary businesses to expand your overall reach and credibility.

  1. Set Realistic Goals

In order to gauge and ultimately build on the overall success of your event, you should take the time to establish measurable goals.  When considering event attendance, this, for example, could be something as simple as the number of attendees you aim to attract.  Setting clear benchmarks will help you to track your progress and to adjust your strategies, as needed.

  1. Offer Early Bird Discounts and Incentives to Boost your Event attendance

Tactics such as early registration discounts or exclusive incentives for delegates who register in advance can be a useful tool for increasing attendance.  These strategies help to create a buzz of urgency around your event while rewarding attendees who commit early.

  1. Create and Hype Engaging Content to Build Anticipation

If you really want to pull in the crowds, then compelling content is a must.  Build an occasion that features inspiring speakers, lively panel discussions, practical workshops and outstanding entertainment.  Tease your incredible content via pre-event activities —  think behind-the-scenes footage, countdowns, carefully crafted email campaigns and social posts — to build anticipation.  The goal here is to leverage a sense of FOMO to get delegates through the door.

  1. Seamless Registration to Smooth the Way for Increased Attendance

A straightforward and intuitive registration process is yet another way to encourage attendance.  By taking the time to ensure that your event has an easy-to-navigate online registration system with clear instructions and secure payment options, you can help to increase the likelihood of delegate attendance.

  1. Utilise Event Management Software for Maximised Event Attendance

In a similar vein, event management software can play a significant role in event attendance by enhancing the overall attendee experience.  In addition to streamlining the planning process, a good event software system can help with tasks like registration, ticketing and delegate communication.

  1. Leverage Your Event as a Networking Opportunity

As our recent whitepaper indicated, networking is the number one driver behind event attendance.  Maximise attendance at your event by incorporating dedicated networking sessions, icebreakers, or even a mobile event app that connects individual attendees and their peers with similar interests.

  1. Offer Unbeatable Value

If you want to maximise event attendance, you have to be sure that your event is delivering value to your attendees.  Think: what does my event offer? Be it outstanding session content, expert insights, networking opportunities, freebies or exclusive perks, broadcast what you’re offering to attendees and make it absolutely clear they can’t get it anywhere else.

  1. Collect and Act on Feedback

Finally, after your event, take the time to survey your attendees to identify areas for improvement.  Actively use this information to enhance future events with a keen eye to increasing both attendance and the strength of your relationship with your audience.

The satisfaction of a well-attended event is unparalleled and yet, from a planner’s perspective, there’s more to a successful occasion than a high turn-out.  By deploying specific strategies and tactics and taking due care to know and understand the needs of their delegates, a planner can build on the success of each and every occasion, drawing in and engaging with their audience time after time.

 

Running live, virtual or hybrid events? Want to maiximise event success? Give your attendees an event experience they’ll remember with technology you can rely on. Learn how Eventsforce can make your next event fabulous and successful. Book your personalised demo now.

Experiential Events: A Guide to Mastering Experiential Elements

Posted on by Eventsforce

 

So much more than an added extra flourish, the creation of memorable and engaging experiences is now an essential tool in striking a lasting positive impression among attendees.  Today’s most successful events utilise immersive and experiential elements to stimulate the senses and foster a deep sense of emotional connection.  Regardless of the type or size of your event, the careful, thoughtful deployment of experiential elements can be used to elevate every occasion to new heights.  In this blog, we’ll explore how event planners can infuse their gatherings with a sense of magic, all while creating an unforgettable experience for their attendees.

Understand Your Audience

The foundation of any successful event is a deep understanding of your audience. Conduct thorough research to identify their preferences and interests, using surveys, social media insights, and focus groups to gather data to help you tailor your experiential offering.  A finely tuned experience will resonate with your audience at a personal level, making your attendees more likely to engage with you throughout the span of an event.

Storytelling through Themes

When weaving experiential elements into an event, particular themes should serve as the backbone of your narrative.  These should be compelling and cohesive and should guide every facet of your event — from invitations and decorations through to activities and entertainment.  Your chosen theme should evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and transport attendees to a totally different place — be it a vintage carnival, a futuristic wonderland, or a tropical paradise.  As a planner, your aim is to completely immerse your attendees in this new reality, with the ultimate goal of driving participation and engagement.

Interactive Installations and Zones

Create interactive installations and zones that encourage attendees to engage with their event environment. These could be photo booths with quirky props, virtual reality experiences, touch-screen displays, or even art installations that respond to participants’ movements. When done right, these experiential zones add an element of playfulness and creativity to proceedings, fostering networking opportunities, and leaving guests with lasting positive memories of your event.

Multi-Sensory Experiences

Turn your event into a truly immersive experience by engaging your attendees’ senses. Consider incorporating carefully curated scents, sounds, and tastes into your event build. Lighting and visuals also play a significant role in setting the overall ambiance and mood of your event.  Any sensory details you include should, of course, serve to complement your occasion’s overall theme.

Live Entertainment and Performances

Incorporating live entertainment and performances in to experiential events can be a game-changer in creating a memorable event. Consider hiring artists, musicians, dancers, or magicians who align with your theme; they’ll serve to add an extra layer of excitement to the occasion.  After all, these live performances can act as a memorable focal point around which attendees can gather and interact.

Gamification and Contests

Gamification is an excellent way to boost engagement among your attendees. Incorporate interactive games, scavenger hunts, or challenges that require teamwork and problem-solving and consider offering attractive prizes or rewards to motivate participation. These elements not only serve to entertain, but also actively encourage networking and socialisation among attendees.

Incorporating Technology

Finally, consider leveraging technology to further enhance your event experience.  To this end, you may wish to create a dedicated app that allows attendees to access event information.  This app should include a schedule and networking features to enable attendees to connect with ease.  You may also wish to deploy augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) to offer unique and immersive experiences, technology that could be especially relevant for product launches or trade shows.  On this point, social media integration can also help to amplify the reach of any individual event.

When implemented with thought and care, experiential elements can lift and elevate each and every occasion to create something truly extraordinary experiential events.  By understanding your attendees and crafting your event to their needs, you not only captivate your audience, but create a memorable, meaningful, and valuable experience for all present.

Running live, virtual or hybrid events? Give your attendees an event experience they’ll remember with technology you can rely on. Learn how Eventsforce can make your next event fabulous and successful. Book your personalised demo now.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity: A Guide for Event Planners

Posted on by Eventsforce

 

As a tangible concept, diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) is an essential principle in any thriving and harmonious society. As event planners, we strive to create inclusive environments, to build spaces that celebrate and embrace people in all their glorious diversity.  By putting DEI at the heart of our events, we not only enhance the attendee experience, but also play an active part in shaping a more inclusive and equitable society.  This blog explores the many practical ways planners can champion DEI to make a positive impact on their attendees and the wider world.

Cultivate a Diverse Team:

Embracing diversity starts with your team. A diverse team — one comprised of individuals from contrasting backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, and perspectives — ensures that a wide range of ideas are effortlessly included in your planning process.

Identify the Purpose and Audience of Your Event:

Before beginning your planning process in earnest, it’s crucial that you understand both the purpose of your event and your chosen audience.  Conduct surveys, gather feedback, and use this data to identify their specific needs and preferences.

Inclusive Language and Communication:

Language plays a significant role in creating an inclusive environment.  Choose inclusive pronouns, promote gender-neutral language, and be mindful of cultural sensitivities. Use accessible materials and media — such as providing information in different languages or in alternative formats — to ensure that your event is accessible to everyone.

Collaborate with Diverse Speakers and Performers:

Speakers and performers are the face of your event and so it makes sense to collaborate with individuals of diverse perspectives and backgrounds. These varied voices will bring unique insights and experiences to your event, something that will help to enrich its content and messaging.

Accessible Event Venues:

Select venues that are accessible to everyone. Ensure that your location has ramps and lifts as well as accessible toilets and seating areas.  Remember: accessibility isn’t just about compliance, but about creating an inclusive space for all of your attendees.

Consider Dietary Preferences and Restrictions:

Food is an integral part of every event.  When considering your catering, bear in mind diverse dietary preferences and take care to offer vegan, halal, kosher, and gluten-free menus as well as a vegetarian option.

Establish an Inclusivity Policy:

Develop a clear and cohesive DEI policy for your events.  Take the time to share this policy with your team, your vendors, and your attendees in order to set expectations and create a positive atmosphere.  Encourage post-event feedback on your policy and be open to making improvements based on any received comments.

Diverse Entertainment and Activities:

Incorporate a wide range of entertainment and activities that appeal to an equally diverse range of interests. From cultural performances to interactive workshops, a varied entertainment programme ensures that attendees can engage in experiences that resonate with them on a personal level.

Offer Scholarships and Reduced-Fee Tickets:

Consider offering scholarships or reduced-fee tickets, something that can help to promote greater accessibility and diversity at your event.

Create Safe Spaces:

Last but not least, foster an atmosphere of safety and respect. Implement a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment, or offensive behaviour. Train your team to handle sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism.

As event planners, we possess the power to shape experiences and leave lasting impressions on attendees. By consciously incorporating and championing DEI at each and every event, we can create environments where all individuals feel valued, respected, and welcomed.  After all, embracing these principles not only enriches the overall event experience but also contributes to building a more compassionate and harmonious world for all.


Running live, virtual or hybrid events? Give your attendees an event experience they’ll remember with technology you can rely on. Learn how Eventsforce can make your next event fabulous and successful. Book your personalised demo now.

Event Planning: The Art of Crafting Memorable Experiences

Posted on by Eventsforce

 

 

So much more than organising logistics and coordinating schedules, event planning is an art form that enables truly talented planners to create captivating experiences, and occasions that leave a lasting impression upon attendees. Planners — from weddings and corporate conferences to music festivals and charity fundraisers — are the unsung masterminds behind every successful occasion, working tirelessly to weave together elements of design, creativity, and storytelling to bring events to life. At Eventsforce, we truly believe that creating memorable event experiences is a fine art and here, we delve deeper into the skills and professional mastery that make this vocation such a captivating craft.

The Canvas of Creativity

Event planning starts as a blank canvas, with the planner free to unleash their creativity and vision to bring an occasion to life. Just as a painter begins a portrait with a blank canvas, an event planner begins with a concept, theme, or purpose for their event. A planner’s artistry, however, really comes into the fore when they start to weave their creative vision into a tangible experience. Various design elements — think colour schemes, décor, lighting, and more — all come together to create an ambiance that aligns directly with an event’s objectives and resonates with attendees.

The Symphony of Details

If nothing else, an event is a symphony of details waiting to be orchestrated flawlessly. From securing the perfect venue to managing vendors, coordinating schedules, and ensuring smooth transitions between activities, event planners must coordinate an event’s numerous moving parts.  Like a conductor leading an orchestra, event planners must harmonise these details to create a seamless and enjoyable experience for guests.  This requires meticulous planning, attention to detail, and a keen sense of timing to create those magical moments, the ones that spark joy and even awe among attendees.

Storytelling and Emotion

At the heart of every successful event is a compelling story.  In the truest sense, event planners are storytellers, weaving narratives through their choice of theme, décor, entertainment, and overall event flow. They tap into the power of emotions, creating an experience that strikes a chord with attendees on a deeper emotional level. Whether it’s a wedding that reflects a couple’s unique love story or a product launch that captivates the audience with a brand’s values and mission, event planners use their artistic skills to engage attendees and create lasting memories.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Event planning is a dynamic and ever-evolving field. Just as artists must adapt their techniques to different mediums and styles, event planners must be flexible and adaptable in the face of changing circumstances. They need to think on their feet, troubleshoot unexpected challenges, and adjust plans to ensure an event’s success. As a professional skill, this ability to navigate uncertainties and still deliver a remarkable experience is a profound testament to the artistic nature of event planning.

Collaboration and Communication

Event planning is rarely a solo endeavour; rather, it requires collaboration and effective communication between clients, vendors, and a wider team of professionals. Just like artists collaborating to create a collective masterpiece, event planners work closely with various stakeholders to bring their vision to life. They must understand and — more importantly — be able to convey their client’s desires to vendors, thus ensuring that every individual element of their production aligns with an overall creative concept. Through this intense collaboration, event planners can create a cohesive and memorable experience, one that surpasses all expectations.

Appreciating the Artistry Behind the Event

Calling upon a planner’s creativity, storytelling abilities, attention to detail, and adaptability to create unforgettable experiences, event planning is undeniably an art form.  As a delicate blend of vision, logistics, and passion, it requires a unique set of skills to transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary environments to create a lasting impact.  And so, the next time you attend an exceptional event, take just a moment to appreciate the extraordinary artistry behind your experience and recognise that deep dedication to crafting a masterpiece of memory, a skill that is truly the event planner’s forte.


Running live, virtual or hybrid events? Give your attendees an event experience they’ll remember with technology you can rely on. Learn how Eventsforce can make your next event fabulous and successful. Book your personalised demo now.