Event Strategy: The Guest Experience

I don’t remember verbatim how the following statement was presented, but the sentiment has stuck with me. It articulates the perfect mindset to begin planning any engagement with–placing one’s focus on the most important element of any program: the guest experience. It came from a former board member to a colleague of mine, and went something like this:

When people come to a meeting or conference, remember, they are stepping away from their families, their jobs, their daily responsibilities. They work hard, and those things don’t wait while they’re participating. So it’s important that we make them feel appreciated and do everything we can to ensure that they are well taken care of. If that means spending a little more on a dinner, or picking the slightly nicer hotel, or going out of your way to attend to someone’s personal request, it’s worth it.  

So that’s where the thinking always starts. What kind of an overall experience is a client looking to provide their audience, and what do we need to do to make that happen? Everything else comes into focus once that has been established, and there is absolutely nothing more important to keep in mind throughout the entire process, from the first day of planning until the final guest departs.

That’s not to say budget isn’t critical. It is, of course, but it’s never the most critical consideration to start with. There are creative ways to save here and there, and we’ll share some of those strategies along the way. Finding solutions to constraints is part of the challenge and a lot of the fun. How will we allocate the resources that are available to provide our clients with a well-designed, thoughtfully executed program that ensures their guests with a first-rate experience? Most people we work with on behalf of our clients - sales managers, venue bookers, service providers, food vendors - are more than willing to try and meet your needs if you’re a company with a cause and on a hard budget.

We understand that time and resources are in high demand and short supply, which is all the more reason we start with the principle of taking care of people first. Establishing those personal relationships and approaching each project with a human-centered focus will ensure that we never lose sight of the ultimate goal. That’s a big reason why we’re here, and why we value the little things. They are easy to lose sight of, or overlook entirely, if we don’t remain committed to approaching everything we do with an eye toward the total attendee experience. And, more often than not, that experience is either made or diminished by the attention paid to the details; not by the big picture stuff.

Taking a little bit of extra time to attend to individual requests, or deciding that it’s better to spend a little more on a space if it will enhance a client’s vision for their event (and spend a little less on something else instead), are the choices we can make to build a better and more engaging event; one that attendees will feel more connected to, personally as well as professionally, and that’s the goal. People deserve to feel appreciated, and we believe making choices with that in mind will always be worth it. Nothing helps to build loyalty and engagement like a personal connection, and that connection is what we’re all about helping our clients achieve.