Thinking Beyond Star Power to Boost Your Next Event

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the key role of strategy, content, and innovation

Meetings and events in and continues to be the most effective marketing channel to influence behavior, and connect your company's franchise and market. But the secret to success, creating a compelling, relevant events that build the anticipation, engagement, and ultimately, the bottom-line return on investment (ROI). Star Speakers and entertainment are critical for this purpose, but they require intelligent design, an innovative program of communications, and creative performance.

This year the economy put enormous pressure on companies franchises to get the most out of their meetings. While no one argues that live maximize the potential for networking, building relationships, education and business deals, they are also the most expensive form of media in terms of time outside the office, travel expenses, and direct costs. This argues for careful planning to make sure resources are well spent and deliver on key priorities.

Intelligent design involves first identifying the main strategic objectives of your meeting, and then wrap around them, everything that happens before, during and after natjecanja.Zvučnici, entertainment, location, activities and registration process, everything must be aligned with a a set of guiding principles. They must deliver results against your goals and expectations of the audience.

CEO, CMOS, and CFO, and civil society, to hear: "Meetings need to have your personal attention and involvement !"

They are not just the province of the meeting planner. These are your highest value opportunities to touch the franchise, customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders in a way like no other. Collect the best results, you and your team leadership should be involved in providing real strategic direction.

Gather your major internal and external stakeholders together and spend the day building a program that advances its core objectives and that the response to the differing needs of segments within your audience. Set clear goals and create an environment, the maintenance and registration of the front, to give you the best chance for success. Ideally, it will be headed by an independent facilitator who can triangulate between their needs, the needs of the audience, and industry best practices.

content remains KING, of course, great program provides a common platform to connect to the audience. Providing great speakers and entertainment gives your audience a common experience and a way to relate to others. Making the right choice not only improves your event and improves outcome, shows that the values ​​of the time the audience was entrusted to his care.

Today, the business people come to meetings motivated by the opportunity to gain knowledge that will have a direct impact on their organizations. It gave new meaning to the idea of ​​"Celebrity speakers." In fact, today, celebrities are like the former company CEO Gordon Bethune, who turned around Continental Airlines and the expanse of the worst first in the airline industry, the top business thought leaders such as who helped Alan Mulally to achieve breakthrough performance at Boeing, and economists such as Diane Swonk to ensure solid economic advice and judgments.

should not ignore the crucial role a strong moderator who actually makes your executives showa.Glasoviti star reporter and documentary filmmaker Bill Kurtis is a way of helping companies tell their stories and customize your event as master of ceremonies at a large company gatherings. Since the opening of the closure hammer, he can help a company to weave a cohesive message that has an impact. Recently, I saw it in moderation panel with former Senator Paul Sarbanes and former Congressman Michael Oxley after dinner, and despite the strict topic (Sarbanes-Oxley), the audience rapt with attention in no small part Kurtis ability to incorporate humor and make participants feel comfortable.

Of course, audiences still love to be motivated and a smile. But they are craving for a motivation to the speakers who have actually done something spectacular, and relating their exploits back to work. Take, for example, Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles, pilot and copilot of American Airlines Flight # 1549, which is a safe and wonderful their Airbus 320 landed safely on the Hudson. Not only is the "feel good" story of 2009, the story behind the story of preparation, focus, training and teamwork refers to any company. Also, Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest, offers not only a great motivational talk, but a solid skill packed audience looking for ways to use the accident fuels competitive advantage.

I do not forget fun. Be sure that the "Entertainment with a purpose." Benjamin Zander, world-famous author and conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, leads the audience on a journey through a metaphor of the orchestra to show managers how to innovate and lead. He pours a solid learning a great entertainment experience.

There will always be that of pure entertainment works with top performers like Jay Leno, Sinbad, Vince Gill, The Beach Boys, and a cornucopia of other greats. These actions should be incorporated into a larger theme and purpose of what you are trying to accomplish, to create an ecosystem for bringing people together and breaking down barriers and creating excitement and buzz about the event.

Be sure to get the most from your investment in talent by including them in the promotion of your meeting, increasing their presence at live events, and getting permission to face your electronic presentation long after your presentation, or more appearances. For example, Vince Gill has recently appeared on the U.S. Transport Association ("ATA") annual meeting and prepared a special video message to ATA host on its website. Blues Traveler performed on 20,000 individuals meeting of the American Wind Energy similarly adjusted funny videos to invite potential participants to "party down in Chicago!" It was a big hit.

Top speakers should be engaged, not only to deliver the message, but the title of a special VIP events, attracting more people to the trade show floor, and provide assistance to special recognition for important customers and guests. Many speakers will participate in blogs and webinars, and even write articles for in-house publications. These efforts can pay big dividends in creating excitement about the event.

too often, organizations to the event as a point in time and does not capture the full value of its power expansion of messages before and after the event. Speakers can help you to do so by accepting the events webinars or webcasts, and gives permission to stream their presentations to their website for an agreed period of time. These approaches create a lasting bond between you and your audience and can even help you to reach individuals who could not come to your live event.

really big meetings require a clear strategy, planning, exceptional, interesting content, a smart communications strategy and flawless execution. Star power at the podium can be an ingredient, but remember, it takes much more than a great orator to guarantee the success of your events. It takes a major commitment by all key people in your organization and identify high-stakes meetings play in affecting key relationships.