Tag Archives: event planning

Did We Get it Right? 2017 Government Events Year in Review

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It's the beginning of 2018, and with it brings reflection on goals and actions of the past year. Today we take a look back at our predictions for government events in 2017 to see how we did.[Tweet "Did We Get it Right? 2017 Government Events Year in Review. #GovEventsBlog"]

  • Focus on Change - Going into 2017, we knew that we were no longer looking at business as usual with the new administration coming in. While we could not have predicted the numerous changes and events of the past year, we did know that everyone involved in government was going to need a refresher in change management. We predicted a larger number of events focused on the formal practice of change management as well as change being a theme in a number of events. This year we had 22 events specifically focused on change management versus 14 in 2016, so there was a slight uptick.
  • Changes in Speaker Line-Ups - In anticipation of agency directors being replaced, we expected to see some new faces in the speaking line-ups for government events. We also thought some of the newly appointed agency heads would be speaking, leading to a fresh crop of speakers across the government event landscape. While this prediction did not necessarily come to pass, we did notice that more events were using big name speakers to draw attendees and to differentiate their shows. We saw speakers associated with interesting, high profile cases and news events. We also saw more government events using leaders from the commercial side of business to share the latest details on technologies and best practices that can be applied in government.[Tweet "GovEvents takes a look back at our predictions for government events in 2017. #GovEventsBlog"]
  • Increased Use of Data - Working with our event partners, we are seeing this trend come to fruition. Organizations are interested in feedback from us on their GovEvents' campaigns. Specifically, they want to know where leads are coming from (email vs. ads), and want to track those leads once they get to their site. They are using this information to better tailor their marketing and outreach to grow their audience.
  • More Video - The ubiquity of video on social media is making video a must-have as part of event promotion and marketing. In our recent survey we found that 31% of respondents have added streaming video to their events in the last two years. It's a trend that we're excited to see continue and evolve, as it livens up the content presented at events.

[Tweet "In a year of change, the event market for government has been a steadying force. #GovEventsBlog"]In a year of so much change and uncertainty, the event market for government has been a steadying force. Attendance at and availability of events has remained stable, proving that events provide a place for colleagues to come together and have meaningful discussions about challenges, successes, and concerns. Now more than ever, these venues are proving their worth in bringing the government community together to discuss the issues that impact their mission.

Government Event Market Remains Consistent

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Last month we surveyed GovEvents' organizer members to get a pulse on what they are seeing in the government events' market. The common theme we found is that the environment for government events seems to be stable and unchanging.

This is good news in the wake of the GSA event scandal that dealt a big hit to the government events' market in 2012 and 2013, but should we get comfortable with this status quo? First, let's look at some of the stats:

  • 61% of respondents said they are planning the same number of events as they did a year ago.
  • 42% of organizations said they are spending the same amount of money on events as they did last year.
  • 57% of respondents said that attendance at events is about the same as it was a year ago with 29% noting a rise.[Tweet "GovEvents Survey Findings: Government Event Market Remains Consistent. #GovEventsBlog"]

These findings were similar to those discovered by Market Connections earlier this year. In that survey of government employees, the results showed that event attendance continued to be flat for the last couple of years after seeing an uptick after the issues around the GSA event were addressed. Continue reading →

Getting a Jump on Resolutions: Update the General Session

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As we approach the end of 2017, we're already in a contemplative mood for the year ahead. While the event world has been changed by the use of social media, accessibility of video technology, and (for the government market) the constant uncertainty of budgets, the one thing that seems to have remained static is the general session/keynote. Most events still open with a keynote speaker or even a panel. Some work in a video of some sort, but for the most part, general sessions are still one-way, lecture-type presentations.[Tweet "Getting a Jump on Resolutions: Update the General Session. #GovEventsBlog"]

While there is comfort in the familiarity of this routine, we'd like to challenge event planners to be more innovative in the new year. We've gathered some thoughts on how to change up the general session routine, ensuring attendees walk away not only with more information but also with more energy. Continue reading →

What’s an Event Worth?

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There is no magic formula for what an organization should spend on producing events, but there are some facts and trends that can be used to better calculate the event line item in 2018 budgets. Beyond venue rental fees and food and beverage purchases, there are many more elements that factor into the cost (and eventual ROI) of an event.[Tweet "There are many elements that factor into the cost of an event. #GovEventsBlog"]

We've pulled together a couple of guidelines from industry research as well as advice from our organizer members, to help with budget allocations for events. Continue reading →

Know Your Audience

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Knowing your audience means more than knowing their names and titles. It means understanding what impact demographics, geography, behavior, and attitudes will have on how they participate in your event and what they take away from it.

Here are a few items to consider:[Tweet "Know Your Audience - demographics, geography, behavior & attitude. #GovEventsBlog"]

  • Demographics - While stats on age, gender, and ethnicity can paint broad brushstrokes of generalizations, they can also provide some really interesting insights that can make your event more personal for attendees. Take advantage of growing diversity in your attendees by highlighting different types of cuisines. This will serve to make some people feel at home while introducing others to new foods and traditions. If your attendees skew to a younger demographic having free, reliable wifi will be expected and critical to their event experience.[Tweet "Take advantage of growing diversity in your attendees. #GovEventsBlog"]
  • Geography - Do your attendees live near your event site? If travel is involved for many, providing a city guide will be a good addition to all of the event material. Do many of your attendees take public transportation to get to your event? Hand sanitizer in the event goody bag (handed out at the beginning of the event) may be a welcome Will a good number of people be getting a cab or Uber to leave your event? Picking a venue with heated porticos during the winter months is a nice consideration.
  • Behavior -- How many of your attendees are active on social media? If you have a group with low participation, then scaling back social media efforts at the show makes a lot of sense. While it can still be a great way to attract new attendees, if social is not used by the majority of people attending, things like hashtag contests and photo booths will not be of interest.
  • Attitude -- Knowing what is going on in your attendees' professional sphere is important. For a government audience, is sequestration looming? If so, stress and tensions may be high. This can influence the tone of information presented (recognizing the stress) as well as the activities offered (yoga or massage chairs for relaxation).

[Tweet "Knowing the audience allows for the event to be tailored to what they want to hear. #GovEventsBlog"]More than the things you do at the event, knowing the audience allows for the event to be tailored to what they want to hear, not what you want to tell them. What are some examples of "know your audience" changes you've made or seen at events? Share your thoughts in the comments.