What a difference a decade makes. Strategies, tactics and processes that just ten years ago reigned supreme, now look a little out of sync, when viewed through today's event lens.
THEN (pre-2001):
Predictable Event Planning Cycles: 12 months out, do this. 9 months out, do that. As one event cycle ends, the next one begins. Sometimes there's overlap, but it's more the exception than the rule. Efficiencies increase through repetition, which helps drive down risk and cost. Planners take pride in documenting every last step, because they know that's the secret to future success.
Paper Rules: Despite mainstream email and Internet use, the majority of communications are still paper-based. Months in advance, we choose paper, ink, card stock, envelopes and such for event invitations, registration forms, post cards, name tags, agendas, hand-outs, etc. Templates from the last cycle are tweaked by designers. Fax machines churn nonstop with registrations and change requests and data entry clerks struggle to keep up with the volume. Digital registrations enter the mix, but they are nowhere near mass market levels.
Strong Focus on Rates, Dates and F&B: Negotiating competitive rates, right-sized room blocks and contract concessions are top properties. It's what separates the good planners from the great ones. Filling room blocks and steering clear of the attrition monster are concerns, but it's not keeping people up at night, just yet. Food & Beverage is creative, but attendee palates are less sophisticated. A few tweaks of last year's menu tends to satisfy most.
Steady Attendance & Steady Teams: Annual Conference attendance from year to year holds steady with modest gains year over year for most. There will always be those parachute attendees who bounce in and bounce out and challenge forecasts. There's solid collaboration going on within event teams, because staff changes happen less frequently. That team steadiness drives efficiencies, performance gains and cost savings even higher.
Ten years later, the picture changes dramatically. Some things improve, while new challenges emerge. Primary drivers for these changes include 9/11, rapid advances in technology, the Internet revolution, social media, the economy, four generations in the workplace, global audiences and job market concerns.
NOW (2011):
Event Cycles Are Ongoing & Less Defined: As organizations scale down teams, planners are working more meetings simultaneously. There's also more activity going on before and after our crescendo events. Those who leverage technology effectively manage to rise to the top, while those who clutch old timelines and processes struggle.
Digital Rules: The vast majority of all marketing, promotion and registration is now happening online, and this change is driving tremendous savings and time efficiencies for both event organizers and attendees. Digital also supports growing interest in green initiatives. Online portals and mobile apps become popular, as attendees appreciate finding everything in one place, that's accessible 24/7 from anywhere in the world AND searchable. iPads, smartphones and other devices stir up more interactivity, before, during and after events. This surge in "all things digital" sets the stage for more accurate and robust reporting, helping planners to better gauge and respond to changes on the fly. With advances in social media, loyal attendees become an outstanding channel for event promotion. Unfortunately, disgruntled attendees have a voice in this forum, too.
Shift to Online Booking & Planning Tools: The site selection and bid process accelerates, as event organizers move to more efficient, online booking tools to consolidate steps and streamline the venue RFP and bid evaluation process. Attendees also gain easier access to book rooms outside the block, so planners create clever value-adds to keep them booking in the block. Cooking shows, magazines and home gourmet cuisine steps up expectations on the F&B side, too.
Fluctuating Attendance & Changing Teams: The economy sparks attendance volatility, making it more difficult to predict and respond to demand changes. Contracts that were negotiated years earlier get revisited and sometimes, renegotiated. Planners start providing clear ROI metrics, helping potential attendees do a better job of pleading their case internally to gain approval to attend events. Virtual audiences and hybrid meetings take hold. What was first perceived to be an attendance threat becomes a revenue accelerator, when handled by web savvy planners. Event teams strive to accomplish more with fewer players and challenges continue as people float in and out in an uncertain job market.
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