As a corporate event planner, you’re always looking for ways to be more successful. You want to increase your knowledge base, become more efficient, and create even better events for the companies that rely on you. As 2020 approaches, you’re looking for new ways to improve your overall success–and these strategies can help you achieve those goals.
1. Check your data.
As a corporate event planner, there’s always plenty of data to collect and crunch. You want to know how many people attended your last event, what they enjoyed about it, and what their takeaways were after that event as well as how much you spent on the event and where you can cut costs–without cutting corners–in the future. Before you dive into planning your first event of 2020, take a look at your data from last year and see how it can better inform your future choices. Don’t get stuck paging through endless spreadsheets, however! Many apps and programs can help take some of the stress off your shoulders and analyse that data for you, giving you more time to focus on other activities.
2. Commit to keeping your energy levels up during events.
During event season, it can be incredibly difficult to keep your energy levels up. You’re spending long hours dealing with the logistics of the event itself, traveling to new locations, and following up with attendees, speakers, and vendors. You’ve got more than enough on your plate–and it’s easy to let your personal energy levels fall through the cracks. You’ll recover when event season is over, right?
That mentality, however, will result in a tired corporate event planner who can’t give it their all. Instead, try some of these strategies.
Commit to getting in regular exercise. Setting aside just thirty minutes three or four times a week for physical activity can go a long way toward increasing your energy level and setting you up for success. You’ll find that when you exercise regularly, you have more energy for all the activities you need to engage in on a regular basis–and that means more to give as a corporate event planner.
Eat healthy leading up to the event. Find local takeout that offers a balanced meal with reasonable caloric intake or prep your own meals ahead of time. Don’t fall into the trap of eating vending machine food or stopping at the closest restaurant that offers whatever you can shove down fast. Instead, take the time to plan out healthy meal choices ahead of time.
Plan to stay healthy on the day (or days) of your events. You’ll have to plan ahead to make it easier! Take along a water bottle and commit to drinking from it regularly to stay hydrated. Plan your meals ahead of time, and make sure that you have energy-filled snacks handy. Also, decrease your caffeine consumption: while you can use a little as a boost to get your energy levels up, you don’t want to over-indulge and find yourself jittery all day.
3. Learn the most effective way to spread the word about events in your industry.
Social media offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with people who might be interested in attending your next event. It can also turn into a black hole that sucks down every bit of time and energy you have. You don’t have to post information about your next event on every social media platform. Instead, focus on the ones that are most relevant to your industry. Facebook remains a hot place to find many people, but younger audiences are turning to Instagram and Snapchat for their social media needs. Twitter, on the other hand, might fall flat as an advertising opportunity.
Take the time to learn where your users are. Do some market research. Throw out a few casual surveys at your next event. As you develop a better idea of where event-goers are actually finding out about what you have to offer, you’ll find that it’s easier to develop a solid plan that will remove unnecessary platforms from your arsenal–and, as a result, freeing up much of your time.
4. Keep taking in new ideas as a corporate event planner.
Read widely in your field. Attend events that others have put on and see what they do well (and what they don’t). As an event manager, you are always learning new things and taking new opportunities. Creativity rarely exists in a vacuum–so make sure you’re taking the opportunity to learn more about what other people are doing and how you can mix those ideas into your own event planning strategies. Connect with other event planners online. Troubleshoot and share information together. The more you work together, the more creative your events will become.
5. Use technology wisely.
It’s 2020, and there are tech solutions out there for everything. That does not necessarily mean, however, that those tech solutions are the best ones for your event. Carefully evaluate technology before deciding to add it to your arsenal. Ask:
- What, exactly, does this technology accomplish? That is, what is it intended to do?
- How does this technology make life easier? Does it, for example, automate processes that you would normally need to take care of individually? Provide easier access to information that you regularly need to have at your fingertips? Streamline processes you have to do on a regular basis?
- What benefit does the technology offer overdoing things another way? Make sure you evaluate different apps, programs, and solutions for their effectiveness before deciding on the right one for you.
- What is the learning curve on a new piece of technology? Even if it offers a number of benefits, it may not be worth using if, for example, it’s going to take too long to learn to use it in the middle of your busiest season.
If you enjoyed this article, click through to book a consultation with one of our senior event managers, who can help set you up for success and provide you with the tools you need to become a more effective event manager than ever. Have more questions about event planning and how you can improve your overall success? Contact us today.
