I’m considering launching my own events and thought I’d share some of the questions that have been running through my head.  It’s not an exhaustive list of things to consider but a broad sweep just for starters and it may help trigger some inspiration or encourage you to put aside some time to work on these issues.

• • Who’s your audience?
• • No, really.  Who is your audience?  What do they look like?  How do they behave?  What inspires and motivates them?
• •  Is this a paid for event?  Will this encourage attendance or put people off?
• •  If it’s paid for, how can you create real value for the audience.  It’s not just about telling people about your product but about inspiring them.
• •  Why would your audience attend?  Education, personal growth, fun?
• •  What does your audience want to leave with?  Inspiration/ideas/news/products?
• •  How can you get them to turn up, even if they pre-register?
• •  What experience can you give them?
• •  How long will they stay at the event?  How can you extend this?
• •  How can you build a relationship with your audience before, during and after the event?

I keep confessing to you all and I really have to stop this but then what value would a blog be if it didn’t reveal a little more about me and my thoughts each time?  That’s just my view though - I don’t feel I can write a regular blog without outlining my thoughts and values.  Many other people do write very plain, business like blogs and have enormous success with them.  I’m not aiming for a huge blog following but am still happy that it’s growing gradually.  So why do I do this?

Writing a blog each week can be a challenge - how to come up with ideas and how to allocate the time to post and promote it?  However, I’ve been surprised at the range of people who read it.  These range from local business people that I network with, to old clients who I’ve worked with for years and not forgetting the people I just don’t know but have found me via Twitter or SEO. So given that range of readers how do I make sure that I keep you all entertained, even if just for a 5 minute read?

I wonder how many people really have a good blog strategy and how many just write week after week?  My strategy - to keep my clients and prospects informed of my activity, my thoughts and my business values.  It’s the personal touch to my website that is hopefully, the inviting and more intimate element of my company.  But now I have these other followers should I focus solely on running a small business or go for hard core events tips? That’s my challenge -  to keep evolving the blog and keep you all interested - do let me know what you’d like to read.

So many companies outsource their social marketing to a specialist.  I’m sure this works really well to ensure it gets done and that it’s promoted effectively but is it really the right strategy for your company?  As a small business owner I’m very protective (over-protective?) of my brand and even when I employed staff I still had to oversee the use of the brand.  As such I just can’t see how anyone else could encapsulate and extoll the heart of Nutmeg.  For those that outsource I would really recommend that you use the agency as an alarm and a formatter but come up with the text, the message yourself.  Only the brand owner (be it company director or marketing manager) can really speak of the values of the brand so don’t give that away lightly.

I have to admit - this blog post is a shameless promotion but I was so impressed by the venue that I just had to mention it.  I recently visited the Quantum Hotels in Bournemouth and the wonderful Alice Smee gave me a show around the work in progress.  

Three hotels on Bournemouth sea front have recently changed hands and the new owners Quantum Hotel Group are gutting the Cottonwood  Boutique Hotel, the Ocean View Hotel and the Bay View Breeze Hotel. Stepping over the rolls of carpet, the pots of paint and the new furniture deliveries I was impressed by the vision and sense behind the plans.  The three hotels are next to each other on the spectacular Bournemouth Eastcliff.  With stunning sea views and plenty of light these hotels have already ticked off two of my event wants.

However it was the vision that really impressed me.  The three hotels are being designed to meet all needs. The basic Bayview Hotel has the value rooms.  There are no mod-cons but for position and price I see little to beat it. The mid-range Cottonwood Boutique hotel is wonderfully quirky - from the pink and gold wall paper to the deliciously comfortable seats this is somewhere you just want to sit and chill.  Last but definitely not least is the high-end Ocean View Hotel.  This is the meeting and wedding venue, with a calming serene design feel, you can use this simple backdrop to create any mood you desire.  Watch out for the wall paper in the main areas - it’s fascinating and simply has to be touched.

So that’s the buildings but what about their staffing vision - this is a hotel group that is working to empower staff and make sure that customer service is topmost in everyone’s minds.  What a difference it will make if the staff are looking out for opportunities to impress and make your visit that extra bit special.

There is a long way to go to get all three hotels fully up and running but I do recommend that you keep an eye on progress and sign up to their website to get a cheeky first look. www.quantumhotelgroup.co.uk 

As you probably know if you’ve been reading my blogs, I’m on a mission to get out and about and meet and chat to as many interesting business people as I can.  I’ve found over the past few months that if I plan carefully I’ve always come away with something useful.  It may not be a sales opportunity but it can be some clarity or business inspiration.  However, I also have to confess that I’ve rushed into a few meetings where I was unprepared and without focus and have really found that I lost much of the potential value.

It is essential to think about why you want to meet each person before you set up a meeting. I’m not advocating a full time seat reservation at Costa Coffee but focused meetings that meet one of your outlined needs.  These needs may not all be sales focussed but may be about building your contact list, or they may fulfil your desire to help and support the community.  So, don’t set up meetings with anyone but do make a list of your requirements and consider if each person can meet that in some way. If they don’t meet those requirements, is it really worth your time? One last thought before you scrap the meeting - do they know anyone who can help you?  People buy from people so maybe the more people you know the more you’ll sell?

As you know, I work on my own now so one of my needs is to meet up with kindred spirits and just talk about my plans for my business.  As a result I’ve been lucky enough to find a small group of ladies who meet up once a month and discuss our business progress.  It’s a great pleasure to meet with them, and it gives me a chance to talk about my current business issues and what’s sometimes better, I get to support their businesses and help them grow.

Even in such a friendly regular meeting I go along with a list of what I want to cover and get out of the meeting.  I set out my issues and goals and make sure I cover them.  Even for new contact meetings I suggest you do this.  Conversations do have a tendancy to wander so it’s great to have focus and something to return too.  If it’s a sales call, not only do you look prepared and interested in them but you’ve got an agenda that makes sure that you don’t leave without the information/tip/contract you need.

I’ve written before about attendance at events - the good news when some exhibitions are showing great increases in visitor numbers but also those companies that assume people will turn up without putting in any effort.  It’s the difference between the two that interests me - is it the topic that draws the audience or is it the marketing programme surrounding it?

Good topics inevitably draw people to look at an event but they won’t always get people to attend, especially if there is no call to action.  Why should they attend? What are they going to get out of attendance?  What’s in it for me needs to be very clear.

With most people inundated with information nowadays, we need to make sure that we get our events in front of the potential visitors as much as we can.  Repeating the same event invite is frustrating and will turn off your audience so it’s time to think outside the box.  How can you build a relationship with your audience and give them some information or benefit for free?  

Social media is a great help with this but it is not the panacea that some think.  Not everyone is up to date on Twitter or has the the time to read your fabulous blogs.  So you need to spread your marketing over a range of activities.  

Make sure that you have a good list to start with - don’t use the 5 year old company database that you used last time.  If it’s 5 years old probably best to tear it up and start again.  The time it would take to clear out the deadwood means it would be cheaper to buy in a specific lead database targeted at your customers.  Can you work with other media, affiliate companies and publishers to do joint promotions? But do make sure that any agreement on sharing data allows you to continue to promote the event after the initial contact.  

Once you’ve got a good database work out why this group should attend your event.  Is it chargeable?  In which case, you have to make the registration and payment process as easy as possible so you don’t loose people on the way - once a person is turned off, it’s very hard to get them back on your side.

Think about building a relationship.  Think about how you’re going to tease and encourage more interaction from your potential audience.  What do they need and how is your event going to provide that?  If it’s a small tight-knit community you’re after - can you afford to send some direct mail with a unique angle?  I’m not talking about the calendar with your brand on it but something relevant and useful to the audience that will open their eyes to your event.  If you’re after sheer numbers - as exhibition organisers often are then it’s about getting the message out as far and wide and making sure you have enough avenues for each type of visitor to engage with you.

Lastly, don’t forget it doesn’t all end once they’ve signed up - you then need to get them to the door.  Work especially hard at reminders and making their visit as easy and comfortable as possible.  Give your visitors no excuse not to turn up!