Tag Archives: Social Media

Commit to Staying Focused

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We recently shared some tips with event planners about how to get audiences more engaged in event content, but we know the onus is not all on the people putting on the event. As attendees we have to make a concerted effort to stay focused[Tweet "As event attendees we have to make a concerted effort to stay focused. #GovEventsBlog"] on the content being presented. We (or our employer) paid to attend or at the very least committed our time away from daily work. Make sure you see a return on investment by fully committing to being present at the event. This should be an easy commitment, but in today's 'always-on' world it is definitely easier said than done.

Here are several tips that we've used to help us get the most out of events.

  • Take a role -- Step-up your note-taking commitment a notch. If your organization has a blog, contact the person who manages it and offer to write a post about the content presented at the event. Trust us, your offer will be greatly appreciated. Making the commitment to deliver something post-event will help you stay attentive during sessions that impact your day-to-day work.
  • Set your own agenda -- Create your own agenda or list of items you are most interested in learning about and cross them off as you go through the event. Was something missed that you were hoping to learn about? Make an effort to connect with the presenter for a quick Q and A.
  • Take a break - From technology that is. Leading up to the event, set the expectation with co-workers and clients that you will be out of pocket. Knowing that no one is looking for you to respond right away can help fend off the urge (or even need) to use breaks to check your email or make calls. Instead you can use breaks for in-person networking--a huge benefit of in-person events.[Tweet "Use breaks for in-person networking--a huge benefit of in-person events. #GovEventsBlog"]
  • Take responsibility -- While social media can be a huge distraction, it can also help you stay focused. Make a goal of a certain number of posts or finding a certain number of new connections. With these goals in mind you can challenge yourself to pay attention for information that you deem "tweet worthy" or really commit to networking through the breaks. Use social media as a motivator instead of a distraction.

We'd love to hear from you? What have you done to make sure you are getting the most out of events and staying focused throughout the long days? Let us know in the comments.

Making Event Things Internet Things

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The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wrapped up in Vegas earlier this month, and there is a buzz around the latest connected devices that will make our lives easier, more connected, and of course, fun. The Internet of Things is a topic covered in many events, but it also has a huge impact on events themselves.[Tweet "The #IoT is a topic covered in many events, but also has an impact on events themselves. #GovEventsBlog"]

The Internet of Things (IoT) can be defined simply as everyday objects connected to a network. This means everything from the Fitbit on your wrist, to the thermostat in your home, to a sensor in a ceiling tile that connects to an app on your phone and welcomes you by name. This talk at a BizBash event highlights some lavish ways event producers and marketers can use the IoT to enhance the attendee experience including networked drinking cups that link you with colleagues on social media when you tap them in a "cheers." There are also social coolers that open up to reveal sodas or other drinks when you walk by with an app open. While some of these ideas may be impractical for the government event market, there are some basic IoT principles that can be applied to keep pace with the consumer-facing event market.[Tweet "Some IoT ideas may be impractical for government events, but a few do apply. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

2015 Predictions: Reality Check

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Last December, we pulled out our crystal ball and called out a couple trends we thought would make a big impact in 2015. Now it's time to take a look back and see how well our predictions fared.[Tweet "A look back at how well our 2015 event predictions fared. #GovEventsBlog"]

  • Virtual events - We predicted that virtual events would grow due to the tight budgets for travel and training. While webinars continued to be popular mediums for delivering training and some events looked into hybrid formats, there was not a huge jump in virtual events, but they held steady. In fact, we saw in-person attendance increase this year. Prediction Grade: C+
  • Smaller Events - This prediction looked at the trend of having more localized/specialized smaller events as opposed to (or in addition to) large conferences. Of all the events posted on our site last year, one quarter would be considered small. While the large, traditional conferences are seeing an uptick in attendance and interest, there is still a huge market for small, targeted events. Grade: B
  • Big Data - We thought 2015 would be the year of Big Data-focused events, but with a number of high profile data breaches in government, cybersecurity remained the top priority.[Tweet "We thought 2015 would be the year of Big Data-focused events. #GovEventsBlog"] However, within those cyber events there was a lot of discussion about how Big Data can be used to prevent and detect breaches. Big Data events were strong in terms of number of events and its #3 rank in top search terms on the GovEvents site behind "cybersecurity" and "job fair". Grade: B
  • Attracting Millennials - We have seen changes in the federal meeting space that are both keeping up with the times and meeting the needs of Millennials. From more active social media presence to photo backdrops to promote event selfie sharing to changing up traditional agendas, we see events looking for ways to differentiate themselves to draw audiences of all ages. Grade: C+

[Tweet "Our 2015 government event predictions faired pretty well. #GovEventsBlog"]Our 2015 government event predictions faired pretty well. In a future post we'll lay out our thoughts for what 2016 may look like for federal events.

Don’t End Up on the Naughty List

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As meeting and event planners, it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work of planning, publicizing, and measuring events. However, this can often lead to overlooking some of the basics or getting caught in the "that's the way we've always done it" trap. Looking around the web for advice, we found five tips on ways to avoid common event failures.[Tweet "Five tips on ways to avoid common event failures. #GovEventsBlog"]

  1. Make them "Just do it" - every communication you send out should have a call to action. Even a 'Save the Date' can invite potential attendees to download a promo code or register to attend a pre-event webinar. Don't let them click by your emails--make sure there is something in it for them.
  2. Be practical - make it easy for attendees. Include details on parking, public transport, nearby hotels, restaurants, and dress code. This will build goodwill among attendees when they realize they don't have to do independent research to figure out the basic logistics they need to attend your event.[Tweet "Tip #2: Be practical - make it easy for attendees. #GovEventsBlog"]
  3. Search for the best deal - while most event planners are shrewd negotiators, it can be easy to get complacent when a price seems "fair." Be it printing, venue, or catering, always make a final ask of vendors to ensure you are getting the best price. Think about ways you could compensate vendors with advertising in exchange for lower rates.
  4. Make metrics measurable - make sure revenue and attendance goals are reasonable and achievable. Look for multiple ways to survey attendees (online, in-person, social channels) to get a bigger number and range of feedback on your event.
  5. Take it with you - in a content-centric marketing world, organizations are always looking for something to share and events are ripe with information. Make sure to capture all of the content presented at your event either through recordings, notes, or speaker materials.[Tweet "Capture all of the content presented at your event for future use. #GovEventsBlog"] Then you can use it for the weeks and months after the event ends. One keynote can become three or more blog posts. A panel discussion could be re-broadcast as a podcast. A number of related sessions could be combined into a whitepaper.

 

We'd love to hear from you. What are some of the biggest "gotcha" traps you see events and their erstwhile planners fall into?

Planning the End of Meetings and Events

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No, we're not putting ourselves out of business by suggesting we do away with meetings and events. Rather, this post aims to look at how we close out events and how we can keep people engaged to the very end.[Tweet "A look at how to keep people engaged to the very end. #GovEventsBlog"]

We've all seen it and done it - sneaking out toward the end of an event to miss the traffic or get in some email time. Many events have relied on incentivizing attendees by saving their best speaker for the closing keynote or doing prize drawings. While this can work, it can backfire and give a great speaker a less than full room and a less than engaged audience, or it can make prize drawings feel more like roll-call in Ferris Beuller. How can meeting planners avoid short changing end-of-day speakers and ensure attendees want to stay and get the full benefit of the event? Continue reading →