Ask the Experts: Event Planning Trends and Strategies

Each month, I invite guest contributors to speak about timely, relevant, and sought-after topics that are important for cause-focused organizations like yours to be aware of as you grow. For June, I've invited my friend and former co-worker, Kristi Collins from Coco Red Events to share about event planning since many of you are starting to prep and plan for fall events.

Q. What are the latest trends in your industry? 

A. As a foodie, I think my favorite trend right now is casual food, especially a Mexican buffet with fajitas and tacos. I mean, who doesn’t love queso? For dessert, we’re seeing more donut installations, pie bars, and bite-sized treats. Most cakes (wedding, birthday, or anniversary) are smaller with a statement design, such as tiers in geometric shapes, a colored glaze dripping down the side and marbled fondant.

For design, we’re seeing a lot of clients interested in a woodlands theme. Think muted colors like a dusty rose, ivory, and sage green paired with lots of greenery and other natural elements like moss, river rocks, and tree slices. I think a big reason why people are choosing to go this route is because it’s gender neutral and everyone can enjoy the aesthetic. And people always enjoy a good vintage piece. Whether it’s a farm table used as a dessert table or an old library card catalog used to display escort cards, these pieces will create more dimensions to the design.

Our clients are also moving away from the traditional photo booth with props, and opting for a Polaroid camera setup instead. Guests love it because they can take the photos with them, and our clients love it because it’s engaging. At the end of the event, we’ll gather the left over photos and save them for our client, who can turn them into a photo album. The photo album is a great keepsake, whether it’s a coffee table book for a newlywed couple or something to keep in a company break room for employees to flip through.

Q. What is the biggest mistake that you’ve seen people make in regards to event planning?

A. I think everyone should have a day-of coordinator for any event. And I’m not just saying that because I am an event coordinator. Trust me, I had someone coordinate my own wedding! I think it’s so important for our clients to be able to relax and enjoy everything that they’ve envisioned and worked hard to create. If you’re running around, making sure that everything is perfect, you will not have a good time. You should be able to mingle with your guests and enjoy yourself. Even if you’re DIYing your whole event, hire someone to handle the details and make sure that everything runs smoothly on that day. It’s worth every penny!

This is especially important at a fundraiser. Your guests are there because they believe in you and what you’re doing. Think of yourself as the brand ambassador and make yourself available to answer any questions that your guests may have. If they can’t find you to get more information about your cause, they are less likely to support it. We are there to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch and that you are able to reach your fundraising goal.

Q. What is your best piece of advice?

A. I think that people are naïve when it comes to the budget for any event. Many clients don’t know how much it costs to hire a good photographer, caterer, etc. so, they’ll spend money on little things and before they know it, they’re way over budget. My advice, choose your top three Items and spend the bulk of your money there. My top three are always food, music, and alcohol. I like invitations, but they aren’t the most important item to me. Now, if you’re a graphic designer or your company sells paper, the invitations are probably really important to you and that’s ok. Make invitations one of your top three. The important thing is to focus on what’s most important to you, and then build the rest of your budget from there.

Another great thing about working with an event planner is that we get discounts, which we pass onto our clients. A good event planner will save you several hundred dollars in various areas, covering some of their fee.

Additionally, if you’re just diving into the event world, be sure to cultivate relationships with other vendors early on. Find out how you can work together and offer discounts for your clients. Meet other like-minded vendors that specialize in your area and be sure to send them leads for dates that you have already booked. They’ll return the favor and help grow your business. The wedding and event industry is a small one, where everyone knows everyone else. Networking is so very important. Go to as many networking events as you can and start making those connections early on!

Q. What is one thing readers can do this week to improve?

A. If you’re an event planner or getting ready to plan an event, do some research. If I’m planning a company event or fundraiser, I always ask myself the following 5 questions:

1. What is this company’s daily mission?

2. What is their goal for this specific event?

3. What brand-specific elements can we incorporate into the event? (Awards, logo placement, etc.)

4. What is something fun and memorable that we can do during the event to increase brand awareness?

5. Is there something that guests can walk away with that will keep the brand or mission at the front of their mind?

Q. Anything else we should keep in mind?

A. No matter what type of event you’re planning, it’s important to remember the story your organization or client wants to tell. When guests walk into the event, they should be able to look around and know who or what this event is for. Everything should reflect the brand or personality. That’s what makes your event stand out from everyone else’s. And most importantly, make sure that your guests have fun!

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Kristi Collins has been involved with events for over 15 years. She has her BA in Musical Theater from Samford University. After theater, she went into retail, then coordinated events in the non-profit sector and finally found her calling in the wedding and social event industry. Kristi has received her Certifications in Wedding and Event Planning, as well as Social Media Marketing. She lives in Decatur, GA, with her husband, J.R., and her insanely cute dog, Toby.

Learn more about Coco Red Events.

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PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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Building an Audience of 8,000: Marketing Case Story

One year ago this week, I was still the Event Marketing Director at Orange, and we were hosting 8,000 of our closest family ministry friends for The Orange Conference 2016. People come from almost every state, about a dozen countries, and numerous denominations to attend this event each year. It's quite the undertaking, and though I worked on other events throughout the year, most of my time was spent on this 12-pound baby (really big, sometimes painful, but worth the labor).

If you aren't familiar with Orange, they create curriculum, resources, and events for church leaders and volunteers. They do a lot of really amazing things, and if I may say, they put on some great events!

As #OC17 starts today, I thought it would make a fantastic marketing case story for us to examine. 

Photo Credit: The Orange Conference

TWO SIDE NOTES

1. If you'd like to watch the tonight's opening session on the live stream, visit Live.TheOrangeConference.com starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. This year's theme is "For Our Neighbors."

2. I'm using the term "case story" because case studies are usually long, boring, and stuffed with stats. I wanted this to be a little less complicated and easy-going, so I'm utilizing that term, though I didn't create it. (I wish I had!)

GOALS

The major goals for the event are measured in:

• Ticket sales, which include the current event and next year's pre-sales;

• Product sales, which includes books, physical products, digital resources, lifestyle items, etc;

• Social media metrics, which is tracked using a software;

• Attendee satisfaction, which is assessed both through social media, comments the staff receives, and a post-event survey;

• Next steps taken, which can include things such as lead cards filled out, emails given, downloads of the conference app, and things like that. Ideally, this is something you want attendees to do at your event to continue the engagement after it ends.

TACTICS

As you can imagine, an event of this size requires a lot of time and effort to promote. Here are the major ways we did that:

• Internal email list including curriculum partners, previous attendees, and some partnership lists

• Mailing list which includes the same as above, plus a purchased list.

• Text system. We were able to send text messages throughout the year to those who opted to receive them.

• Social media, mostly consisting of blog posts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat

• Facebook ads

• Ads on internal sites

• A social media tool kit that our speakers, fans, and attendees could utilize to spread the word for us (which included both images and what to say)

• A signature line in staff emails

• Cross-promoting at other events, both Orange's and events where they had a booth

• Blogger network consisting of bloggers who were Orange fans, across the US

• Advertising on relevant blogs and websites

• Print ads (Yes, those still work too!)

• Press release

• Partner e-blasts

• Google Ads

STRATEGY

Yes, there are a boat load of items mentioned above, especially for those of you who are the only employee, or running the show with a small team. But again, all of these things occurred over a year's time. And many of them happened on a regular basis. There wasn't just one ad or one blog post or one mailer. 

The pricing for the event was broken into five major deadlines, including the pre-sales on-site at the current event. Prices, of course, increased as the event neared. This brought in early revenue and helped us plan. Additionally, these distinct time frames gave me windows of time in which to promote.

It's also very important to understand how your audience plans to spend their money. For example, we had two major deadlines to focus on: opening day and the February deadline. Opening day, of course, because we had the lowest prices and offered a bonus (early breakout registration) that was very desirable to our attendees. And everyone gets excited during an event launch. The February deadline was incredibly popular because many churches just had their budgets renewed with the calendar year, and we also offered curriculum credits, which enticed current and prospective curriculum partners. So, those two factors meant that I spent most of the marketing budget promoting those two deadlines.

RESULTS

• Every year, attendance for the event increased. We were very blessed in that way. When I started in fall 2010, there had been 4,300 attendees at the previous conference. And in 2016, there were about 7,400 at Orange Conference, and 500 at ReThink Leadership, a simultaneous event for senior pastors across the street. Those senior pastors came across the street for OC main sessions to spend time with their teams.

• With increased attendance, social media reach also increased each year, resulting in about 2 million impressions in 2016.

• Product and ticket sales also increased every year, but I am unable to share those numbers.

• I read through every OC survey that was filled our during my time there. I was, obviously, responsible and accountable for sales in the marketing department, but I really wanted to know what people thought about the event. Did we meet their expectations? How could we improve? What made a difference? Why did they come to our conference over another? Overall, the feedback was incredibly positive. This was our signature event, and we tried to do everything with excellence. Of course, there are always people who didn't enjoy the event or different aspects. That is to be expected. But the key is to have a good filter for yourself when receiving negative comments to decide if it is valid, or if it is out of alignment with the mission. Sometimes it's just based on personal preference.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

No matter what size of an organization you're currently at, there are some lessons to be learned:

• I was my own department. But I certainly didn't do everything! Other people took care of the graphics, social media management, logistics, etc. Only myself and I think two others actually worked on the conference year-round, and I was the dedicated person for promoting it. It was an all hands on deck situation as the conference got closer, but when you are well organized, have good systems in place, and have others to support you, it's a testament for what you can accomplish! (It's not too late to spring clean!)

• To plan and execute a successful event you must have a marketing strategy in place. You can't just wing it. For much smaller events, you don't have to work as far in advance, but you still need to understand the ins and outs of how you're event will come together. Effective marketing also helps get people in the doors! The more the merrier, right?

• Outline your goals first and foremost.

• While I listed many tactics above, I'm certainly there are a few you can choose from to start implementing for your next event.

• You might be surprised to learn that our marketing budget didn't dramatically increase even though our attendance did. I was very used to working for small organizations with small budgets, so I utilized as many free avenues as possible. Additionally, we focused on getting people to bring larger teams to OC, rather than finding more churches to come. The latter is a much better way to concentrate your energies.

• If you're event is just getting started, you may not have previous feedback to work with. If that's the case, start by sending a survey to your email list and social media followers to gain insight. You can also try asking people you know who fit your ideal audience.

• Don't skip over the "next steps." You need to know what you want your attendees to do when they leave. You need to decide on how you want them to stay engaged with you after they walk out the doors. Waiting for emails about your event year after year isn't going to cut it.

• Adding "surprise" and "delight" to your marketing efforts is always encouraged. People attended The Orange Conference to learn about family ministry, understand the trends, get information on how to do their jobs better, and connect with others. But they LOVED anytime we were able to surprise and delight them! There is even an entire main session dedicated to fun at OC because the brain gets a little overloaded during all the learnin' that a conference brings. These concepts also help endear you to your attendees.

REMINDER

If you'd like to watch the tonight's opening session on the live stream, visit Live.TheOrangeConference.com starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. This year's theme is "For Our Neighbors."

FINALLY

I love events. I've been planning events since I was in junior high! I guess I was always destined to be a part of them in some way. I get so excited by attending conferences and events, and I enjoyed creating a great environment for others. I'd love to help you with your next event.

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PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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How to Successfully Launch an Event or Campaign: Lessons From Hamilton

On Saturday, I had the absolute privilege to see Hamilton: An American Musical on Broadway! After trying to get tickets for over a year and a half, it had a lot to live up to, and it absolutely did!

It was an amazing show, and it also has some important lessons to teach us about event and campaign launches.

"WAIT FOR IT"

Build buzz. Lin Manuel-Miranda actually started talking about this show back in 2008, when it was still mostly just an idea in his head. He had one song written, but he knew the show had big potential.

Lesson: If you're excited about your product or launch, talk about it and get other people excited too. Start with your circle of insiders and biggest fans. And especially if you're trying to sell something, these early conversations will help you decide not only if there is a market, but the value of it as well.

"I AM NOT THROWING AWAY MY SHOT"

That one song? He sang it at the White House. He was invited there to perform, but instead of singing one of the songs from In the Heights, his hit show at the time, he decided to test out this new material. What better place to talk about a Founding Father? President Obama's reaction to the concept? "Uh, good luck with that." Ha! But then he belted out the title song, "Alexander Hamilton," and people were ready to line up for tickets—years before it would open.

Lesson: Look for unique opportunities to talk about your product or event, even far in advance. This will allow you to build anticipation. And don't forget to include the influencers in your life. Let them help you get the word out as needed. It will add credibility, and help get you in front of new audiences.

"NON-STOP"

From the time Hamilton opened Off-Broadway in early 2015, I heard about it everywhere! On TV, from friends, on social media. It moved to Broadway just a couple of months later, and immediately sold out for months at a time—as it still does. And almost two years later, people are still talking about it. Not only do they have an email list and soundtrack, but they have additional merchandise at the theater and online, and they also released a Mix-Tape last year with celebrities singing some of the popular songs. This gives fans who've already gone something else to remember it by, and people who haven't yet been, and chance to feel included while patiently waiting for tickets and the traveling tour.

Lesson: Whether your event or product has a defined timeframe or an open one, you've gotta hit the marketing hard. Use every available avenue to talk to your fans, potential fans, and their friends. Word-of-mouth still has the strongest return on investment, but there are multiple options for reaching your target audience, and it will likely take a combination of all of them to get the job done. Be creative and consistent. 

"RIGHT HAND MAN"

In the emails I received about the show and in the program, there were always ads by relevant services and destinations. In the emails, it was usually about other Broadway shows and ticketing partners. In the program, there were several ads about American Revolution museums, vacations in the Caribbean where Hamilton grew up, or other Broadway shows.

Lesson: When it's right for your event, product or organization, consider building partnerships. These can be short- or long-term. Maybe the services or products are complimentary, maybe the person is speaking at your event, or maybe they just love what you're up to. Just like influencers, partnerships have the ability to put you in front of new audiences and expend your reach. Just remember, it needs to make sense for both parties and be valuable to your audience.

"ONE LAST TIME"

I was finally able to buy a ticket last June, so I had nine months to wait before actually attending the show. Because it was so far in advance, the tickets weren't even ready at the time of purchase. So, a couple of months later, I received an email that my tickets were ready. I still had a few months to go, but I got excited all over again! And a few days prior to the show, I received another email with helpful information about getting to the theater, some Q&A and a digital "Hamilton Tour of NYC."

Lesson: It's not over till it's over. Just because you have initial buy-in, don't dismiss the opportunity to talk to your audience, delight them all over again, or get in on the countdown. And always be helpful. By anticipating people's wants and needs, you'll be the hero.

"BLOW US ALL AWAY"

Like I said, I waited a year and a half to sit in those seats. By the time I did, I knew the music, watched a documentary, and been consuming all kinds of info on A.Ham and the American Revolution. So, not only was I well prepped, but I had very high hopes. However, I knew they wouldn't let me down—and they didn't.

Lesson: You can have an amazing launch, but if what you're actually marketing doesn't deliver, you'll lose the confidence of your audience, and they'll be less likely to follow you down this road a second time. Make sure your product or event has a solid foundation to stand on.

"YOU'LL BE BACK"

On my way out the door, it was all I could do not to purchase every piece of merchandise I saw! I managed to restrain myself, but I did snag another picture of the marquee on my way out, just to make sure I had a really good one for Instagram.

Lesson: After your launch, be sure to follow through. That could mean a survey, or a thank you, or asking people to take some sort of next step. But don't let the experience end with the purchase. Use the purchase to extend the experience.

What are your best practices for a launch?

Do you have an event or product launch coming up? If so, I can help you with just the writing portion, or I can be a little more hands-on and involved. Just let me know how I can help!

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PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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