Because we’ve done it every year is not a good reason to run a meeting!

Now more than ever we need to get a greater return from our events. As event planners we have a responsibility to ensure the events we run align with organization strategy. Here are 7 steps to achieving success.

A Missed Opportunity?
Corporations spend millions of dollars hiring bright management consultants and mobilizing senior executives’ time to develop strategy. However, when an opportunity arises to align and engage employees on the objectives to be reached through a conference or some other type of event – these same intelligent consultants and executives never harness the power of the face-to-face meetings that they are planning. Yes, they spend a lot of time and money on the events, but when asked why they spent so much time and money – they don’t have a convincing response: because that’s what they have done every year…

The Responsibility of the Event Planner
In all fairness, senior executives have little or no experience in using face-to-face meetings to increase their organization’s business performance… and we should probably do a better job by engaging with them with better initial questions than “how many rooms do you need?” or “where have you been to previously?”.

How To Align Events with Corporate Strategy
Here are seven steps to follow to align business events with corporate strategy and have a meaningful impact on the company’s business performance.

1. Understand
In the planning process of any meeting, the very first step is to understand the organization’s strategy. If you don’t know where you are going, any advisory board, sales meeting, incentive trip, or customer event will do… but you might just be throwing your money out the window with little or no impact!
Questions like: “What does success look like in three years?” or “What are three main objectives of the organization in the next 12 months?” will help you understand the context in which the face-to-face meeting will be executed… and it will definitely position you at a totally different level.

2. Identify
Take any business challenge, aligning people, increasing customer’s relationships, engaging your team, etc, it will never be solved without a face-to-face meeting down the line. Will the event be enough? Of course not! But leveraging its potential will bring the best results possible. Accordingly, there are three types of information which need to be identified:
• What are the objectives of the meeting?
• Who are the attendees and/or various stakeholders involved?
• What does success look like, and how are you going to measure it?
Based on the insights collected, you will now be able to move to the next step and design the most effective meeting EVER!

3. Design
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
I love this quote from Maya Angelou and this is precisely what design is all about – content, emotions, and impact.
The design includes several items like the agenda, the learning that people should receive, and the communication they will engage in (before, during and after the face-to-face). The design, and in particular, the communication, provides a great opportunity to bring a lot of creativity into the content.
At the end of the day, what you are looking for is creating emotion. It is the most important aspect of the meeting – regardless of whether it is a sales meeting, a product launch, a trade show, or incentive travel. The emotion entails how you are going to make the attendees feel that they are part of something unique and impacting… and it is created through the design and the content coming together.

4.Execute
If anything can go wrong, it will! Murphy’s Law is the most applicable rule when it comes to the execution of face-to-face meetings. In over 10 years, working in the entertainment industry, I have never experienced one single event that was executed exactly the way it was planned! There is always something unexpected that will happen.

Logistics are extremely important in conveying the main message of an event or meeting. Imagine that you are planning the event to be outdoors. However, when the day of the event arrives, it’s raining or the temperature is too cold or the audio-visual production doesn’t deliver, then you’re not going to be able to convey your message with the same impact.

And then of course, there is the whole discussion about pricing. This reminds me of the story of the patient suffering from an issue that no other doctor could help her with. So she decided to try yet another doctor, a very experienced and respected doctor. After 10 minutes of consultation, the doctor shared her diagnosis and advice. The patient then enquired about the cost of the appointment. After being told the amount, the patient complained about the price, mentioning that it only took the doctor ten minutes and that it was really overpriced for just ten minutes. At that stage, the doctor looked at her and replied, “I’m not charging you for ten minutes of my time. I’m charging you for thirty years of experience and the ability to give you sound advice in ten minutes instead of hours.”

5.Measure
A major step in the process is measurement. When you start from the objective of the meeting defined at step 2 (Identify), you need to actually define what is it that you are going to measure (tangible and intangible) and how you are going to measure it. It is not always necessary to make an extensive ROI Study but obviously, if you don’t measure, you don’t exist!
Finally, you need to prepare the reporting back to the different stakeholders involved in the decision-making process and by doing so, to be able to link the specific event to the company’s strategy and its execution.

6.Follow Up
You have mobilized a lot of resources to organize your face-to-face meeting. You have carefully planned the communication before the meeting and have managed to go beyond your attendees’ expectations. Then… everybody goes home, and the next day at the office, it is business as usual, almost as if nothing had really happened. What a waste of money and missed opportunity! Think about how you can expand the benefits of the meeting.

7.Uniquely Different
A common mistake is to try to always do something “more expensive,” something better “just to top the previous year.” That path leads to a dead end! Rather than aiming to spend a lot of money or outdo the previous year’s meeting, look at doing something “different” – that’s the key to success and to a sustainable approach to face-to-face. Looking to do it uniquely different is the key to executing a meeting with the greatest impact.

In Conclusion

We work in the greatest industry. Science, sports, politics, religions, education, etc; face-to-face meetings are bringing people together and changing the world, one meeting at the time. For too long, we have been concentrating almost exclusively on logistics and we have let an important part of our work be commoditized without really thinking of the added value we are (or could be) bringing to an organization’s success.

Are you ready to become a millionaire event planner? It takes more than someone willing to write a healthy check in your name. It takes skill, organization, incredible patience and possibly some of these magic ingredients.

What’s the difference between those event planners who organize exclusive soirees and run million dollar businesses and those who are just scraping by? You’re both dealing with demanding schedules and last-minute issues, difficult personalities and unregistered guests, but what are they doing that you’re not? Here are 7 skills millionaire event planners have cultivated over the years to keep them earning top dollar.

It Takes One Person to Open the Door
How do you play on a new playground? By playing there. The same is true of event planners. Liz Taylor of the Millionaire Party Planner show fame frequently plans charitable events. If you can get people to open their wallets for a good cause, you can get them to open their wallets for you, again and again. Referrals are everything when you’re working at this level. Her clients the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge aren’t making calls, shopping around event planners. They’re asking specifically for someone who did the last event they attended and enjoyed.

Look and Act the Part
While it may be hard to justify, operating at this level of event planning means making sizeable investments in yourself because you are the event brand. Your look, clothes, style, car, even your tablet speaks to your abilities. No one will pay top dollar to you to plan their event if you drive up in a car with a busted muffler and old soda cans rattling around in the back seat. While most of us aren’t doing that, there is a certain refinement and look required and that may involve upgrading your wardrobe or even the technology you use to appear to service this millionaire group before you actually do.

Find a Niche
Word-of-mouth is essential in a millionaire event planner business. It’s how you’ll land most of your jobs. Finding a niche and becoming known for something makes it much easier to build a personal brand. Maybe it’s “Sweet Sixteen” parties MTV-style or maybe it’s million-dollar charity events, find an area you want to work in and concentrate building a portfolio of those events. While there’s a risk in putting all of your eggs in one basket (what if next year the whole world decides “Sweet Sixteen” parties are ridiculously frivolous and no one wants to host them?), building a brand is one of the most important things you can do. Look at Colin Cowie who parlayed his wedding and event planning into a line of home décor – all because his brand was associated as one of style. Preston Bailey partnered with the Wedding Institute to offer a wedding and event design course. That comes from branding, not just skill.

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No to Clients
The flip side of developing a niche is knowing when someone’s event does not fit into your ideal. This means turning down work. This is one of the hardest lessons for any business owner, but if you tie up your time working with people who are not in your ideal demographic that is taking time away from finding someone in your sweet spot. Just as you may say “no” to dessert if you’re watching your waistline or trying to make healthier choices, you should exercise the same control over your event business. It should not be one-size-fits-all. If you want to plan exclusive events, you need to be exclusive in selecting clients. After all, they will be the source of your next client. If you veer off the road to success to take someone on who’s not your ideal, any person they refer your way will be the same.
Not only must you select the right clients but you must command a price too. You need to feel confident in what you are asking for because you bring a value that’s worth it.

Work the Referral Engine
As mentioned earlier, events of this echelon, and hosts with deep pockets, don’t dial a directory of event planners. They ask for referrals from friends and peers who have thrown similar events. That’s why it’s essential to build your referral network and learn all you can about referral marketing. At this level of the industry, who you know is everything. Consider investing in memberships that will give you access to the right people, network with managers at expensive venues, volunteer your services at established nonprofits that place you close to large donors who can give you experience on high ticket events.

Upgrade Your Team
If you like to handle everything yourself, you’re going to have some difficulty moving into the millionaire event planner set. Not only must you have a team for the sheer size of what you’re often planning but your team is going to need to be comprised of people well-known in their own right. This means big name, or at least medium-sized named, entertainment, celebrity chefs, and party favors from major designers. With most of these events the names of those “working” it are as important as the experience itself.
The only part of your team that needn’t be known is security but at a high-dollar event, you better be prepared for tight, professional security that runs with the precision of a well-orchestrated dance team.

You’re Not Hemmed in by Budget So Make It Extraordinary
Having a budget is incredibly frustrating when you have an extraordinary vision of what could be. For millionaire event planners, the budget is less of an obstacle but because they are freed on that end, they need to come up with amazing experiences. You may need to hire set designers. Seriously.
A lot of these big budget events are asking people for large donations or high ticket prices to attend. Giving them something spectacular is just part of the job. For a party that featured the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and Prince Henry, Liz Taylor transformed Kensington Palace into a magical winter forest, complete with a ballerina dancing on top of a 12-foot music box, in just three weeks’ time.

In Conclusion

In order to transform your event planning business into a million-dollar one, you need exposure, branding, and a niche. Sometimes that niche is something as simple as taking an event on with very little lead time and making magic happen. When you can do something no one else can – or no one else wants to – you can become the go-to person for that type of event and the go-to person can name his/her price.

Is one of your suppliers taking too long to respond? No matter what you do are they ignoring your requests? Here are some ideas to get them to respond in a speedy manner.

The event industry moves at a fast pace and deadlines and lead times are often short, putting pressure on the event planner to gather information in next to no time. Whether it is putting in a fee proposal, sharing ideas with your client or confirming final details with the venue quick responses are often vital.

If you’ve ever spent significant time with a child you know one of the ways they get attention is by calling your name over and over until you’re so frustrated you scream “WHAT IS IT?” While this isn’t the way to deal with your suppliers, it is an effective way to get noticed.
But what do you do when your suppliers “aren’t paying attention” to you or prioritizing your requests?

Call their names over and over? Not likely. Here are a few better options:

6. Give a Reason
   If you’re familiar with the old copier study that people were more likely to allow someone to “cut” in line for the copier if they provided a reason, even if it was a nonsensical one, then you understand the power of the word “because.” In order to drive action, try giving them a reason such as,
   “I need to know your pricing because I’m putting together the budget.”
7. Don’t Add a Lot of Fluff
   Fluffy niceties are nice but people don’t read anymore. The more words you put in an email, the less likely the recipient is going to read the important stuff. Don’t let your request get lost in the words. Get right to the point.
   Think about emails like the old telegraphs where you paid per word. They were brief and got right to the point. No one wanted to pay for: “Hi, How are you?” Keep your emails short and they’ll be more likely to notice the important stuff.
8. Practice Strategic Follow Up
   After your initial email, set a tickler to ensure you’ve received a response by a date that is in line with your deadline. If you haven’t heard back by the date, send a reminder email with “reminder” added to the subject. Copy or forward your original email along with any necessary attachments. Make it as easy as possible for them to respond to you. Don’t make them hunt for the info even though you know they have it. Email productivity tools can help you keep track.
9. Call
   Emails only go so far and if you’re not getting the needed response it’s time for a call. Make sure your call comes after you’ve given them adequate time to answer your email. Adequate time is 24 hours unless it’s an emergency. (and if it is emergency maybe you should have called in the first place!)
   When you call and leave a message, be brief about your needs and let them know (again) when you need the info. Leave your phone number (again) even though you know they have it. People pick up their messages from all sorts of places when they’re in the middle of other activities. Providing all of your information each time you call or email may seem excessive but you want to make it simple for them to respond.
10. Make Someone Smile
    Okay, so I advised not to clutter up emails with niceties but there is one exception in emails and phone messages – humor. When you can make someone laugh, they are more apt to help you out. In a 1981 study conducted by O’Quinn and Aronoff, they divided participants into buyers and sellers and asked them to negotiate the price of a painting. Half of the sellers were told to use the line, “My final offer is ___ and I’ll throw in a pet frog.” The buyers who heard that line were willing to pay significantly higher prices than those who were part of traditional negotiations. Humor breaks down walls and helps people trust and want to help others.

In Conclusion

Getting urgent responses out of suppliers can be difficult but if you construct your emails and phone messages strategically, you’ll have more success. If these things don’t work, you may have to contact a higher up or someone who has some influence on the person. But if you’re going to go this route, it likely will affect your future relationship so keep this in mind before escalating to that extent.
Still, if you have a supplier who fails to yield a response, your future relationship is in jeopardy anyway in the fast moving world of events. Walk away from them and don’t involve them in future events. But ensure they know why you’re making that change.