Everyone has heard the phrase, “If you fail to plan then plan to fail.” Well, if your company wants to have successful events throughout 2011 now is the time to start planning. There are some crucial elements that you and your organization need to consider before you start adding dates to the calendar.- We’ve always done it, is not a reason to do it again –Many organizations get into the habit of adding things to the calendar solely because they were able to pull it off the year before. Your company’s entire meeting and event portfolio should be evaluated for its effectiveness. Every event should have a well defined goal, a clear direction and purposefully thought out objectives. In order for an event to be successful the desired outcome needs to be clearly communicated to all who are involved. It is also extremely important to evaluate if the event goals are in line with the overall mission of the organization.
- Just because you plan it, doesn’t mean they’ll come –When is the last time you conducted a needs assessment? Planning an event that does not meet the needs of those who you are targeting is not a good use of your company’s resources. Each of the event’s stakeholders needs to be identified. Examples of possible stakeholders are attendees, staff and sponsors. A needs assessment will help you understand what the stakeholder expectations are.
- Some bubbles need to be busted – Now is the time to take an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to bring your event to fruition. Does your company really have the money, resources and personnel necessary to meet the defined goals and objectives? Don’t make the mistake of getting so caught up in the vision of the event that you lose sight of the overall vision of your company. It is ok to say that this is not the right time to move forward with an idea. Or maybe you and your colleagues can identify ways to streamline the idea to fit within your resources.
With today’s economy companies are looking for ways to be more efficient. Efficiency does not mean eliminating all of your meetings and events from the calendar. Instead it requires you to become more strategic in your planning. So don’t delay…it’s time to start planning!!!
If your company or organization would like to schedule a free one-hour consultation, please feel free to email us at info@wynningtouch.com.
