Tag Archives: event planning

Building a Thankful Audience

Posted on by

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we thought it would be a good time to go beyond reflecting on what we are thankful for and look instead at what you want your event attendees and sponsors to be thankful for as they leave your events.

Beyond learning something and meeting great people, what do you want your attendees to get out of the event?[Tweet "What do you want your attendees to get out of the event? #GovEventsBlog"] Here are four things we think event planners would be grateful to hear: Continue reading →

Tech Trends in Event Planning

Posted on by

Many of the events listed on GovEvents.com have to do with technology and how to apply it to meet government challenges. It makes sense then to apply the technology that is being discussed to the event itself. Here are a few major tech innovations and trends that can have a huge impact on the government and event market alike. [Tweet "Tech innovations and trends for the government and event market #GovEventsBlog"]

  • RFID - Radio Frequency Identification is the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. Government and industry use this technology for tracking contents of containers on ships, military equipment, critical infrastructure and more. For events, RFID tags can easily be embedded in wristbands, badges or plastic credit cards. This can help speed up the registration process, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and engage attendees through social platforms and email by serving them information targeted to where they are and what they have been doing at the event.[Tweet "RFID tags can speed up registration and collect data on attendees during events #GovEventsBlog"]

Continue reading →

Tale of Two Cities: Social DC and Federal DC

Posted on by

Washington, DC is a city with many sides to its personality and vibe. There is the social circuit defined by extravagance, power  and wealth, and an event circuit more recognizable by our readers--one defined by restraint in an effort to not break any ethics rules. The Washington Post recently ran an article about how even the traditional Washington social circles are working hard to attract the right guests to their parties and the changes they are looking to make. [Tweet "Tale of Two Cities: Social DC and Federal DC #GovEventsBlog"]

While the events listed on GovEvents do not have the budget or the purpose of these more social, fundraising events, there are some lessons we can take away from these gatherings to make them more attractive and memorable. Continue reading →

F is for Federal and Fun

Posted on by

When we saw the headline, How to Entertain a Serious Audience, we immediately thought of government events. We know it is an overgeneralization and a misrepresentation that people who serve the government tend to be more serious, bureaucratic, and careful with their words, but there is some truth to this stereotype. With very real mandates around gifts, endorsements, and the reality of austere budgets, events for the federal sector cannot be as flashy as those for commercial-focused attendees. But that does not mean they cannot be fun.

While the day-to day work and missions of government audiences are incredibly important, vital, and sometimes even deadly serious, it does not mean they don't enjoy some levity. Here are a couple ideas to lighten the mood at events and create some fun differentiators in the crowded federal event marketplace. [Tweet "Ideas to lighten the mood at federal events and create some fun differentiators. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

Next Gen Event Planning

Posted on by

The expectations of attendees are changing the dynamics of events.  While there have been several reports claiming event planning as we know it is dead, we see it as more of an evolution. [Tweet "Event planning as we know it is dead... We see it as an evolution. #GovEventsBlog"]

To remain relevant and attract audiences, we need to listen to what they are telling us they need and want and then use the latest technologies and techniques to make that happen. Here's a quick list of new realities that should be shaping the way we plan events. Continue reading →