The good news is that many last minute event changes can be prevented and, with careful planning, some changes can be anticipated and managed. Here are 12 tips that will keep you ahead of any curve balls.

1. Build in a Back-up Plan for Replacing Keynote Speakers and Entertainers. 

When booking keynote speakers through a bureau, include a clause that covers providing a replacement speaker or entertainer if there is a last minute cancellation. As the date approaches, the bureau can easily confirm availability and provide you with a list of speakers and entertainers on their roster who can pinch hit at the last minute.

2. Have regular check-point meetings with your event stakeholders.

3. Brainstorm and identify the areas that are most prone to last minute event changes and move those items later in your project plan. 

For example, you can pretty well predict that there will be last minute cancellations by some event participants, delays due to traffic or late flights, particularly in the winter, and 11th hour changes in the agenda. Handle the need to pull outdated agendas from participant materials by accepting this as a reality. Book the printer to print and collate any handouts or other printed material that includes the agenda, on the morning of the day before the session is scheduled to begin. If you do it earlier it is guaranteed that there will be re-work. Have a team on hand to place and position this material late on the day before the meeting or event

Going paperless and providing the agenda through an app or online can eliminate the mad scramble in reprinting material when there are last minute changes.

4. Formulate back-up plans for every area of the programming and logistics that are prone to last minute changes.

5. Corporate event planners should make it a practice to include the sponsoring executive in key meetings.

Many clients will resist this but many meeting hiccups are created by executives who are brought into the loop at the last minute. The sponsoring executive should participate in the initial project meeting to communicate his or her vision clearly. He or she should also sign-off on content, the agenda, entertainment, and even the timing for catering service. Many times when an event planner has arranged to begin service when everyone has arrived, an executive will step in at the last minute and insist that service begin immediately. If you don’t have buy-in from the senior executive, everything is up for grabs and last minute changes are guaranteed.

6. Re-engineer Your Agenda. 

Build margin into your agenda, set-up, and logistics. Delays in arrival due to heavy traffic, inclement weather and flight cancellations or delays, are quite common. You will need that margin so that you can slide content to later time slots if there is a delay in the start of the meeting or conference.

How to Build Margin into Your Meeting

• NEVER overpack an agenda. Add at least 15 minutes more than you think you need to each session.
• Rope off a reserved row or set a couple of reserved tables near the entrance to ensure that latecomers are not disruptive or embarrassed.
• Some participants will arrive extra early to be guaranteed a seat near the door so you also need to allocate space for them.
• Set one or two extra tables near the door and mark them as as reserved. Some participants and dinner guests just show up so you also need to make a plan to accommodate them. Advise participants who arrive early that these are extra tables.
• Provide an informal arrival lunch as an easy transition into the agenda. A buffet format can easily accommodate staggered arrivals.
• Start your agenda early to mid afternoon on day 1 to give participants time to arrive, relax, and even get settled into their rooms if possible.
• Instead of beginning with a general session or keynote, launch the meeting or conference with structured networking, cracker barrel sessions, brainstorming, or in conferences sessions in breakout rooms.
• Before the closing keynote, schedule another session in breakout rooms for brainstorming, networking, or strategizing an implementation plan.

7. For corporate clients, confirm the final date for rooming lists and the penalties that apply if there are last minute cancellations.

Always build in a buffer and set the deadline a couple of days before you need it so that you don’t receive the rooming list at the 11th hour.

8. Set a deadline for receiving notifications of cancellations.

Stipulate that, after that date, the client is responsible for cancelling directly with the hotel and copying the event planner on the cancellation notification.There will always be last minute cancellations from corporate clients. Placing the responsibility for handling them with the client will eliminate what is a major source of last minute scrambling.

9. Send a communique to participants a week before the event and ask them to advise you immediately if there are any changes to their travel plans or the length of their stay. 

Remind them to let event organizations know about any special meal requirements. That way you can make adjustments at a less than frantic pace.

10. Bring the speakers in 2 nights before they are required.
Flying speakers in at the last minute is asking for headaches due to the inevitable flight delays.

11. Schedule the final checkpoint meetings with the entire team 1 week and 2 days before the event.
This will help you identify any hiccups and develop a strategy to manage them.

12. Form a SWAT team by allocating some members of the event planning team to deal with last-minute emergencies and come up with solutions.

This troubleshooting task force should be composed of members of your conference planning sub-committees who have been involved throughout the event planning process. Clear their calendars during the last 2 days leading up to an event and during the event, Their role should be to troubleshoot and problem solve and they need to be empowered to make fast decisions.

BONUS TIP – Take it in stride. Accept the fact some event changes are unavoidable.

Keeping your Cool When Faced with Last Minute Glitches

• Take a deep breath.
• Alert the troubleshooting taskforce.
• Brainstorm and implement solutions.
• A member of the taskforce should contact and involve all directly affected parties.
• Be honest with participants about the event changes, why they are necessary, and  what you are offering as an alternative.

From the School of Hard Knocks

Magic Johnson, who was the advertised marquee speaker for MPI WEC 2017 conference, had to cancel at the very last minute. MPI posted a video on Twitter at 2 AM on the day he was to schedule to speak. They announced that headline entertainment and other content would fill the gap.

The post Don’t Get Caught in Last Minute Madness: 12 Tips for Preventing Last Minute Changes at Your Event appeared first on EventMobi.

Keeping abreast of trends, discovering “what’s hot”, and monitoring demographic data will only take you so far. To identify the preferences of participants and the target market for specific events, it’s important to ask rather than assume you know what people want.

Unfortunately, many agendas and catering menus are “carved in stone” months before a meeting or event, resulting in missed opportunities for customization.

5 Methods for Collecting Information from participants

There are a number of tried and true methods for pinpointing the preferences of a specific group. They have proven effective in marketing research yet these approaches are under-utilized in event planning:

1. Focus Groups

A guided discussion with participants from a specific demographic or target market. Focus groups are often used to collect qualitative data for designing marketing campaigns or product launches.

With Skype, GotoMeeting and other online tools, it’s easier than ever to assemble participants together for a focus group. Today, people can participate from the comfort of their homes.

Quick Tips for Using Focus Groups:

• Prepare an interview guide with the areas you want to cover.
• Ideally, focus groups should be recorded (i.e. video for in-person, audio or video for on-line).
• For face-to-face focus groups conducted, have a separate facilitator and transcriber.
• Allocate ample time to explore all areas in-depth.
• Keep them relaxed and informal.
• Go with the flow. Remember the goal is to find out what participants think, feel and expect.
• Explore areas and topics raised by participants.

2. Email Surveys

A short and targeted survey with a few questions can quickly uncover event participant preferences.

Quick Tips for Using Email Surveys:

• Remember, most people are inundated with emails.
• Keep email surveys short by focusing on no more than 6 areas.
• Use 1 question per area.
• Use multiple choice questions
• Leave ample space for surveys.

3. Event App Surveys

With current levels of email overload, surveys sent via apps in a timely way can often get through to your desired respondents with much more ease than emails.

Tips for Using App Surveys:

• In addition to using the tips for email surveys, also consult Best Practices for Gathering Feedback Using Event Apps

4. Participant Profiles

A 1 or 2 page profile completed by event participants can be of great value in tweaking event content and approaches. Include them in registration forms for conferences and send them via email to corporate event participants.

Quick Tips for Using Participant Profiles:

• Collect information about the level of experience, issues and concerns of each participant.
• Ask about each participant about their level of knowledge for each area of content you are thinking of including.
• Include a learning styles checklist with 4 – 6 questions per style.
• Collect information about meal requirements.

5. Unconference Sessions

Through this informal process at the beginning of a conference or meeting, participants have an opportunity to identify their pressing  concerns and shape the agenda.  The mail value they provide is ensuring that content addresses the burning concerns of participants. Sometimes these can’t be anticipated. Think 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, the volcano in Iceland, ANY natural disaster, a major election, or the laptop ban. Emerging issues will be on the top of the minds of most participants.  

Quick Tips for Using Unconference Sessions:

• The quick tips for focus groups are also important for Unconference sessions.
• Begin as a whole group.
• Set the context.
• Split participants into groups with no more than 6 – 8 members.
• Re-assemble and give the groups an opportunity to report back.
• Identify topics of concern.
• Highlight those that are already covered on the agenda.
• Identify peer experts to make presentations or facilitate sessions focusing on the emerging topics.
• More info in this video …

Remember, uncovering participant preferences is only effective is you actually use the information. To ensure that you can use the information that you gather:

• Avoid a packed agenda.
• Always build some margin or “white space” into event agendas to provide an envelope of time for enriching content.
• Be transparent and let participants know how their input has shaped the content and approach.

Suggested Questions for Uncovering Event Participant Preferences

Some of the participant preferences that it is important for event and meeting planners to  uncover include:

• Burning questions and issues.

Find out: What issues or topics you need to address for the conference or meeting to be perceived as delivering value by participants.

• Preferred learning styles

The methods that are used to deliver content are just as important as the content. Profiling the preferred learning styles of participants will help  you deliver content in a way that is easy for participants to understand and digest.

• Visual: learns by viewing colourful visuals, graphics, and videos
• Auditory: values presentations and opportunities to listen to content
• Kinaesthetic: needs to be actively engaged in learning through games, small group work, tactile stimulation
• Analytical: speakers need to include facts, figures and statistics to build credibility
• Structured: to follow content easily, presentations must have a traditional structure with a clear beginning, middle, end, and transitions

Find out: If learning games enhance or undermine the credibility of speakers. If participants get restless after sitting and listening to speakers for more than 15 minutes. If participants prefer traditional or creative delivery methods.

You can get more information about Learning Styles here: Season to Taste: Catering to Diverse Learning Styles

• Musical tastes.

Music isn’t just for breaks or entertainment. Pioneering research by  Bulgarian scientist Georgi Lozanov uncovered the fact that it can enhance learning. BUT, some participants find background music distracting.

Find out: Which musical genres participants prefer (classical, jazz,  rock ‘n roll, country and western, heavy metal, hip-hop, rap, electronic). If participants find background music enjoyable or distracting.

• Preferred entertainment.

Find out: What type of entertainment and socials participants prefer (e.g. sporting events, dancing, dance performances, live bands, DJs, talent contests).

• Catering requirements.  

Find out: Provide a checklist and give participants the opportunity to identify allergies, food sensitivities (e.g. lactose-free, gluten-free), dietary restrictions (e.g. salt-free, low-carb), special meal requests (e.g. kosher, halal, vegetarian, vegan).

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“According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Millennial Research Review, 45 percent of associations were seeing flat or declining membership. Unless that changes, the industry could be facing a troubling future.”  

Source: Youth and the Future of Associations

This trend can no longer be ignored as employees born between 1977 and 1995 now represent the largest demographic in the workforce. It is now essential to adjust both event marketing and programming to address the needs of shifting demographics and for engaging younger participants in your content and events.

The need to attract and retain emerging professionals and young executives to events should never be an excuse to stereotype participants. There will always be individual differences in all generations. Instead, it’s important to collect information regarding the preferences of your specific target market and event participants. In other words, don’t design event marketing or programming based on assumptions. Surveys and participant profiles incorporated into the registration process can be extremely helpful.

Keeping this caution in mind, one cannot ignore the fact that in-depth research into demographic trends can help event professionals identify trends and some approaches that are likely to resonate with their target demographics. There are some important takeaways from this data to identify strategies to consider before, during, and after events and conferences to make event marketing and content more engaging to younger generations.

1. Leverage smartphones and other technology for engaging younger participants

Demographic profiles based on a number of studies have indicated that:

• 92% of adults from 18-29 have Smartphones (Pew Research)
• 98% of adults from 18 – 24 have Smartphones (Nielsen)
• 88% of 18 – 29 years olds use Facebook (Pew Research)
• 62% of 18 – 34 year olds take action after viewing YouTube ads (comScore for Google)
• 37% of 18 – 34 year olds “binge watch” YouTube videos daily (comScore for Google)
• 59% of 18 – 29 years olds use Instagram (Pew Research)
• 18 – 34 year olds are the heaviest users of mobile apps (comScore for Google)

Implications: Mobile App Usage is on the Rise
Instead of letting smartphones become a distraction, they should be leveraged for event marketing and content delivery. Invest in Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram marketing.

Pre-Event:

• Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are much more likely to be fruitful for attracting participants from younger demographics than LinkedIn or Twitter
• Share videos, promote discussions with speakers, and post photos on these channels
• On registration forms, ask participants to identify the social media channels they use most frequently. Use these networks to promote the conference, event and profile speakers
• A few questions on registration forms to give participants an opportunity to identify preferred music, artists and TV shows will yield very useful data for customizing programming and marketing

Registration and Logistics:

• Incorporate technology into the registration process
• Facilitate technology assisted check-ins
• Deliver schedules, handouts, and workshop summaries online and via apps, rather than paper

Content Delivery:

• Ensure that there is enough bandwidth to support the needs of participants
• Provide ample table space for mobile devices

2. Tailor conferences, meetings, and events for diverse, multicultural audiences

Based on its analysis of U.S. Census data, The Brookings Institute highlighted racial and ethnic diversity as one of the key characteristics of the 18 – 34 demographic.

“More important for the future is the clear disparity between the racial makeup of the millennial generation and of preceding generations. Millennials were born during a period of heightened immigration.”

Source: Diversity Defines the Millennial Generation

Yet, one would never know it by looking at the keynote speakers, entertainers, and composition of most conference and event panels.

Implications: Shifting Multicultural Demographics

• Ensure that you draw conference committee members, meeting planners, event planners, speakers, facilitators, and entertainers from a more diverse pool
• Remember that the shift to more multi-cultural audiences will have an impact on preferences for everything from entertainment to cuisine

3. Customize Content

• Deliver content in shorter sound bites
• Remember, shorter attention spans do not translate into a parade of wall to wall talking heads. So, make sessions interactive with live polls, Q&A, and more!
• Expand the opportunities for networking
• Include targeted career advice breakout sessions
• Host student conferences and workshops both on and off-campus
• Offer scholarships to conferences and trade shows

The IMEX Future Leaders Forum is an excellent example of how to deliver targeted content:

4. Make Gaming A “Go-to” Strategy for Engagement

According to the 2016 Entertainment Software Association’s Sales, Demographic And Usage Data Report:

• 29% of 18 – 34 year olds are gamers
• 41% of gamers are female
• PCs are the most popular platform for gaming (56% of users)
• 36% of gamers use smartphones for gaming

Implications: Gaming

• Make sessions interactive and search for opportunities to deliver content through games, contests, and game show formats
• Design gamified event experiences that drive engagement

5. Embrace Shifts in Generational Entertainment Preferences

It should come as no surprise that entertainment preferences shift with the generations. It is extremely important for meeting and conference organizers to keep abreast of entertainment trends and embrace them to keep programming, themes, and entertainment fresh and engaging.

Music: Based on its analysis of 20 billion tracks, Spotify revealed that hip-hop is the most popular musical genre globally. Royal Society Open Science Journal’s study of Billboard Hot 100 Charts since 1960 highlighted the fact that hip-hop, rap, and related styles are the most important musical genres of all times. Yet, many conference and event planners exclude it from their programming as it does not appeal to their personal tastes. Pushing your own hot buttons instead of appealing to participant preferences is a surefire strategy for declining enrollment.

Implications: Music

• Use music in event marketing, for presentations, during breaks, and for entertainment
• During presentations, use upbeat video clips with great backing tracks
• Mix it up: Instead of relying on standard fare, incorporate rap, hip-hop, and electronic music into the musical mix
• Add dance crews, hip-hop, and rap, and rap artists to the entertainment line-up

Television: Based on Nielsen studies, the most popular TV programming with 18 – 34 year olds includes:

• Sunday Night Football
• Empire
• The Big Bang Theory
• The Voice
• Big Brother

It is extremely important to note that the #1 ranking was for Sunday Night Football and 5 of the top 10 most viewed programmes for the 18 – 34 demographic are football related. Yet, few conference and event organizers incorporate football themes into their programming, speaker line-ups, or entertainment.

Implications: TV Trends

• Make it participative: Model entertainment after popular TV programmes like The Voice, So You Think You Can Dance, and World of Dance
• (Obtain the required licenses if you want to use the names of these TV programmes)
• Add professional football players to your speaker line-up
• Replace a dinner event with an opportunity to attend a football game

6. Monitor trends and cater to food and beverage preferences

Flavour and the Menu’s Generational Flavours Report highlighted the fact that food and beverage preferences vary significantly with the generations. Based on their studies, local, fresh, and unprocessed menu options are most likely to be appealing to younger participants. The report also suggest experimenting with cajun spices, saffron, miso, and wasabi.

According to Technomic Inc.’s Generational Consumer Trends Report, in addition to pizza and burgers, the most appealing dishes for younger demographics include Chinese food, Mexican dishes, BBQ, and chicken dishes. How Millennials Will Shape Food in 2017, published by Forbes, stressed the importance of delivering a multi-sensory experience. The article also highlighted the importance of high quality food photography to build excitement and the importance of ethnic cuisine and customizable menu options when catering to the 19 – 34 demographic.

Implications: Menu Planning

• Experiment with multi-cultural dishes including Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean menu selections
• Present menu highlights in your marketing. Photos, videos, and sample menus can give participants a taste of what is to come

7. Never Neglect Post-Event Engagement

• During the course of the event be sure to get video feedback from event participants, including younger attendees, to use for future promotion
• This footage can be posted on YouTube and incorporated into blogs and websites
• Use a year-round mobile app to keep the conversation going after your conference and generate a buzz for the next event

Since younger employees engage more on mobile apps than other demographics, this is an excellent channel for reaching them throughout the year. They are more likely to engage through apps than via websites or email. With EventMobi’s new Association app and Multi-Event app, year-round engagement has never been easier. An end-to-end approach that incorporates a range of strategies for every aspect of the event has the best probability for success in engaging younger participants.

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So, what’s the best way to connect with your attendees? How is it relevant to what each attendee is looking to accomplish? Focus on making the experience personal. The technology exists, the data is there.

Here’s a quick guide to improving the quality of your connections, expanding your audience, and creating the personal experience you need to keep everyone engaged.

1. People Trust in Thought Leadership

Whatever the reason might be for holding your event, a reputation for delivering valuable, can’t-miss content will make every other aspect of your event promotion easier.

A blog is a fantastic way to gain this kind of renown. By showcasing topical, relevant content of interest to your target audience, you can prove that you’re qualified to decide what information is beneficial and what can be culled. To have a successful blog that functions as a knowledge base for your audience, be as consistent as possible, but more importantly, contribute high quality ideas and contributions to the conversations happening at the forefront of the industry.

Don’t have the time or resources to generate relevant, original insights on a regular basis? Try hosting a webinar series, or bringing expert guests to the table. Both are solid methods of increasing your online audience and boosting your reputation as a reliable source of content.

To deliver content that your attendees value, you need to keep a beat on it throughout the year. Don’t be afraid to incorporate content they liked from previous years either. Mixing classic, well-established knowledge with new trends provides a basis for analysis and comparison that can only lead to more intelligent, beneficial discussions — and that means higher engagement. .

During your actual conference, highlight any blog contributors in attendance. “John Smith was featured in our July blog post on modern business ethics, and we thought it would be a good idea to bring him here to talk to you today.” Now, John is a champion and has a reason to contribute to your blog again in future, and you have a demonstrated ability to showcase influencers and make them accessible to your audience.

2. Cast a Wide Net

Social media is so ubiquitous that it has become a reflex for anyone trying to expand an audience and keep it engaged. A healthy social media presence can generate valuable buzz about your event, bolster attendance, and keep your event’s momentum going far beyond the end-date. You can even mine the feeds for potential content and find out what topics, speakers, or features the attendees are excited about. Use this insight to figure out what to emphasize and how to invest your time and resources.

Use social media tools like Followerwonk, Sprout Social or Hootsuite to understand who follows you and what they value. Identifying and targeting your major influencers makes them feel more valued while offering you the start to a very effective word-of-mouth campaign.

3. Follow Up With Precision

While social media hits a wide audience and extends your reach, targeting segments is a great way to boost your renown and foster a great relationship with your core audience. Segment-specific email campaigns, for example, allow you to deliver the most relevant, impactful content. Using personalized messaging to deliver thoughtful content will engender trust in you and your brand, ensuring a great turnout.

If you create a two-way channel, it can also be a great way to get specific, qualified feedback about your event without letting your whole audience know you’re even looking for it. The reward for your core audience is a more tailored event experience.

4. Personal Onsite Messaging

At the event, alerts within your event app can take targeting even further. Let’s say your attendee list comprises general industry professionals and VIPs, and you’d like to invite the latter to a high profile networking event. Perhaps you’d like to isolate a group of hosted buyers or key decision-makers and give them an exclusive time-slot on the tradeshow floor. EventMobi allows you to establish those groups within your attendee listing and send them targeted messaging so you can connect with precision.

5. Turn Your Event App Into a Megaphone

Alerts are also a great way to convey essential information to everyone. Wielding just your meeting app, you can broadcast room changes, speaker shuffles, special promotions, or anything else that comes up. EventMobi also gives you the option of pairing your alert with an email or push notification to make sure that, whether they’re on the event app or not, everyone will get the message.

This can make your event app a vital asset in a crisis. In 2013, a Calgary planner awoke on the day of her event to find that a massive flood had submerged the event site (and 20+ other neighbourhoods). Event app to the rescue! She was able to use the alerts within the app to keep her attendees abreast of essential updates, emergency protocol, and necessary cancellations.

Offering timely, contextual data will ensure attendees feel valued and important – even in challenging times.

6. Turn Your Spectators Into Participants

Another tried-and-tested way to engage people and crowdsource ideas for content is through event surveys. You can deliver these impactful feedback goldmines in all kinds of correspondence, from alerts to email communications. Leading up to your conference, create a survey on the event app to gauge the level of interest in your topics, speakers, and sessions. Ask questions that help you determine the average level of expertise in a particular subject to help your speakers avoid anything too high or low-brow. Your attendees will appreciate the research and it’s a great way to bolster your app usage leading up to the event.

During sessions themselves, attendees can also participate in live, interactive polls. Get your speakers excited about their upcoming sessions by offering them this easy engagement tool. Have them submit their questions to you in advance so you can create the poll, incorporate it into their presentation, and rehearse it to ensure a seamless transition into and out of it.

Not only is your speaker better engaging attendees, each and every attendee can personally contribute to the educational experience.

7. Attendee-to-Attendee Connections Should Be Smooth and Secure

Creating a more personalized experience for your attendees doesn’t mean you have to do all the heavy lifting. Encourage attendees to reach out and make new connections with one another.

Attendees can send messages using private in-app chat. Messages are stored within an attendee’s personal inbox, accessible by email login. People at the event can even connect with remote participants provided that everyone is on the event app, and all the correspondence is private and secure.

8. Tracking Engagement is Integral to Improving Engagement

What you do in the wake of your event is almost as important to the quality of your content as the planning beforehand. Gathering good qualitative data about your content is essential for improving it from year to year. We’ve discussed a number of ways to get feedback and crowdsource your content: mining social media feeds, surveys, live polls.

Another element in your data collection that cannot be over-emphasized is event analytics. These days, you can track almost everything your audience, and subsequently your attendees, do digitally. From your social media page to your registration page, and well into your event app, every click leaves a footprint and you’ll thank yourself for finding a qualified service to track them.

From pageviews to unique visitors, ad impressions to attendee behavior, any event software provider should be prepared to give you access to the data. This will give you invaluable insight into what people liked and how much they used the tools you invested in. Where were people making the most connections? How many people were engaged in the keynote session? Was there a lot of activity at the networking event, and were people networking before it started?

Analytics offers answers; the challenge is to ask the right questions. Real-time and post-event reporting offers access to insights that will help you achieve better, more personal experiences for your event participants.

Whether you’re choosing a smarter technology or operating more strategically, these are some small steps you can take to ensure that each and every person at your event enjoys rich, relevant content and a valuable, highly tailored event experience.

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