No One Wants to Exhibit at Your Event
No one cares what you have to say It’s funny that in my 25+ years of working in this industry, I’ve come to anticipate that frequent demand that “you’ve got to get [fill in the blank exhibitor] to sign up. They must be there.” And for many years my quest was to find the perfect […]
Is Your Show Remarkable?
Unfortunately, the answer for most shows is ‘no’, which is not unlike the chicken or beef entrées served at the last ten wedding receptions you’ve attended. They’re entirely forgettable as soon as you leave the reception/event. Here is how it is from an event attendee’s perspective: You’ve certainly spent enough money to attend the […]
Five Elements of a Successful Event
I have been thinking about the elements that would, if all were present, make up a perfect event. Such speculation recognizes that only 5% of all events would ever fit within this category. So perhaps these events are more elusive ghosts than reality for most of us. Here are what come to mind: 1) […]
To Cancel or Not Cancel Your Struggling Event: That is the Question
Recently a number of my industry colleagues have had to make decisions about whether or not to cancel their events which were struggling. In my twenty-six years in this industry, I can count on one hand the events that I’ve had to cancel after launch, so I count myself lucky on mostly avoiding the scenario. […]
A Neat Trick to Ensure You’re On Top of Your Market
Pick up the phone and make 10 calls monthly to your customers. Or preferably, visit them in their offices. That’s it. And do this consistently – every month – not just occasionally. Why? I am guessing that, if you are a top executive, you sometimes become so focused on the running of your team, […]
How to Kill Your Competitor
For many of the events that I am brought in to launch, a key challenge is to create something that does not mimic others in that market segment. If you create a ‘me-too’ event – one that is not differentiated from everyone else in a substantive way – you are destined to fail. But how […]
Is Building an Event an Art or a Science?
Are you wondering about what the ingredients of building an event are? I asked my friend, industry renowned journalist and thought leader Michael Hart on the art/science mix on starting a conference. Here’s what he had to say: _____________________________________________________________________ The answer to the above question is “yes.” Yes, it is an art; yes, […]
The Right Number of Qualified Attendees or Profitability?
Well, your answer is likely to be, “Warwick I want both!”. But what if you must prioritize one choice over the other? We’ve all been there; what do you do? The direction you take depends upon the kind of company that you have and your event philosophy especially toward new launches. If each […]
What Trump’s Victory Means for Your Event
I was ruminating about Jeff Hurt’s article, “Our Increased Distrust Of Institutions And What It Means To Your Association, Conference,” and thinking about how the Trump election phenomenon follows other trends in our society in general and the events business, in particular. Here’s what I believe is the impact on our business: People are […]
When to Hire an Outside Consultant
A couple of questions I am frequently asked by event organizers are “How do I know when to bring a consultant/contractor in to help?” and “Isn’t it a sign of weakness if I have to go outside the company to do this?” Both are good questions. To answer the second, I would say that, […]