by Sara Deacon
Events can be incredible opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses. A great event or conference brings your ideal clients together and primes them to invest enthusiastically in your products and services. It cultivates long-lasting relationships between colleagues, associates and sponsors, and even has the potential to develop deep and lengthy friendships.
I talk often about WHY events are so important for businesses, including the five C’s behind hosting events: Cash, Credibility, Clients, Community and Collaboration. The first step as you begin planning your event is to determine your primary intention and focus. When you’re able to keep your vision in mind, you’ll be able to clearly see the impact your event will have on your bottom line.
Dream Big, Deliver Bigger
Once you envision and communicate your dream event, it’s time to take deliberate action. It’s about more than goals—it’s about emotion. What do you want your audience to feel as you move them through your agenda?
Keeping that desired experience in mind can guide every decision you make, from the speakers you choose to the way you structure the day. Writing down your ideas along the way gives them a greater chance of becoming real. Thoughts become things.
Capture the Vision
The best events are coherent and purposeful. Like any good story, they have a beginning, a middle and an end. The idea is to take your guests with you on a transformational journey.
How do you welcome your guests? How do you set expectations and build anticipation? How do you make each person feel like the VIP that they truly are from the moment they walk in the door? How do you facilitate connection? How do you build momentum and maintain energy throughout your event? What do your guests learn and how will they apply it? How do your guests integrate their learning? How do you lead your guests to take action? How do you reinforce your core message and create a memorable finale?
I’ve witnessed event hosts sell out their programs and memberships because they designed their events with thoughtful intention. Each element served the individuals in ways that exceeded all of their expectations so that when they made their final offer or invitation, people could not sign up fast enough!
Room for Magic
The most successful events are thoughtfully planned without too rigid an attachment to the plan. The balance between structure and spontaneity offers the flexibility to adapt while maintaining the stability and consistency of your event’s purpose.
Dreaming big and delivering bigger isn’t about excessive planning or huge budgets—it’s about being intentional when designing your event and mastering the basics of facilitation, communication and connection.
People Focus
The most important thing to remember when building your event is to keep your focus on your people. When speakers and sponsors have been invited to share the stage at your event, they expect to be showcased equitably. Attendees who feel like they’ve been beaten over the head with the host’s message will feel blindsided or taken advantage of.
Ultimately, a successful event isn’t just about what you want to accomplish. It’s about creating an experience that serves the people in the room. Keep them at the center of your planning, and you’ll create an event that delivers on your vision and gives them something worth remembering.
This article draws from Sara Deacon’s book, Welcome to the Stage: The 360 Degree Approach to Hosting Events Like a Pro. For more insights on planning and hosting events with purpose, get a copy of the book.
More Insights from Sara Deacon
Look for more advice from Sara in future Advisor’s Desk posts, including:
- Lead from the Stage—Don’t Steal the Show: How to make the people in the room the focus, even when you’re the one holding the microphone.
- Purpose Over Fear: Building the confidence to lead by focusing on something bigger than yourself.
- Listen Up: Why listening may be one of the most important skills a leader can bring to an event.
- Learning from Your Performance: Two simple questions to ask yourself after every event or practice session to help you grow and improve.
Sara Deacon helps mission-focused entrepreneurs build deeper, more lasting relationships with the people they’re meant to serve. She serves as a professional emcee and consultant for women’s conferences and entrepreneurial events. As a publishing guide, she supports authors in turning their manuscripts into published books that elevate their businesses. She also works one-on-one with coaches, speakers and entrepreneurs whose current story doesn’t resonate with the person they want to become.
In every seat, the work is the same: closing the connection gap between you and the people who need you most.
Through a variety of experiences, Sara brings a wealth of knowledge and resources to the table.
Because your business deserves more than a one-size-fits-all solution. Learn more at radeacmedia.com. Contact Sara at [email protected].