Inspired Live Experience has put together a guide to the five simple steps that will help you deliver an engaging and impactful live event:
Step 1 – What’s your story?
Start by defining what it is that you are trying to communicate to your intended audience. There may be a number of things; if that’s the case, put them in priority order and ask yourself if you can really convey all of them through a single event.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, try to create an “elevator pitch”: a short, succinct spoken presentation that conveys your core message in two minutes or less. Then try it out on someone outside of your business. If at the end, that person is thinking “I want to know more” then the chances are your prospective audience will feel the same.
Step 2 – Know your audience
So, you’ve agreed your story – but who are you talking to? A business audience, or a consumer one? Corporate buyers or end users? Understanding the issues and challenges which face the people you will be engaging with, is crucial. Look at the trends in your industry and, if possible, speak with some of your existing customers to gain their perspective.
If you’re organising your own event, you’ll need a compelling hook to maximize your attendance – so ensure your planned agenda addresses the needs of the people you want to attract. Senior business leaders receive dozens of invitations to events every year, so will need an overwhelming reason to come to yours.
Look at your sector – is there a groundbreaking piece of technology or research which those people would be keen to learn about? Or a leading analyst speaking about innovation trends and future insight? Arming potential customers with useful business intelligence at your event will create hugely positive associations with your brand as an expert in its field.
Step 3 – The right setting
Now is the time to consider the physical space where you will deliver your messages. Much depends on the constraints of the space you have to work with – a shell scheme stand in an exhibition clearly won’t offer the same creative licence as a blank canvas venue – but it’s vital to prioritise what’s most important.
If your business involves selling products, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you need lots of them in your space – sometimes, less is more and a potential customer will be as interested in your brand positioning and approach as the items themselves.
However, when there is a tangible product or item that you want to promote, think about how you are going to get your audience to experience it. Glass display cases with locked-away product just don’t cut it any more – people expect to get hands-on, especially with technology – so allow enough space and equipment to make this happen.
If you’re running your own event, consider how to keep interest levels up. Dividing the programme down into bite-sized chunks, each staged in a different area of the venue, keeps your audience moving and helps sustain your key messages.
Step 4 – Content is king
Now, go back to your elevator pitch. What’s the common thread that runs through it? It’s likely that certain words will keep cropping up – it might be the key benefits of a product, the ethos behind a brand or the value in the services you offer. These are the words that will be central to how you tell your story at an event.
The first time you engage with your audience, you have to deliver your message in a concise, impactful way that will draw them in: a confident presenter, a piece of video, a large format image or perhaps just a bold graphical statement. Try not to rely on a re-hash of someone else’s PowerPoint slides – in fact, don’t use PowerPoint at all if you can help it (the “detail” of your offering can come later on, after the event).
Next, re-visit the technical limitations of your event space and check this against your planned content. There is nothing worse than investing in high-end production technology if you can’t afford to generate the right impact when using it.
Step 5 – Be an advocate
The final step is about how you and your colleagues engage with the audience on a personal level – becoming advocates for your business. Advocacy is not just about regurgitating product stats or company information – it is about conveying a true belief in the impact and benefits of the organisation and its offering.
The most common mistake on exhibitions is having a table or counter standing between the host and the audience. Putting this physical barrier in place adds a level of distance and formality to the conversation, making the potential customer “switch off” – if they have even approached the stand at all.
Instead, go out and engage people with positive body language and pleasant conversation; building rapport will instill confidence and trust in the customer, so that when you introduce your business to them, they will be open and receptive.
Finally, there is no substitute for a passionate and motivated employee representing your company at an event – but don’t overdo it! Remember, listening to a prospect’s challenges and needs, before providing a possible solution, shows empathy with their situation – and even if that individual doesn’t become a customer there and then, it’s likely you will have made the right impression and created another advocate for your business.
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For more information on this story, please contact Ben Cole at Inspired - [email protected] - or visit our website www.inspiredlive.co.uk
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