Quality events tend to have two key characteristics. First, they're organized around a common cause or purpose that motivates attendees. Second, they're designed to meet defined objectives, which create a clear point for people to come together at a particular time and place. The right venue has to support planners by understanding both the event's motivations and its objectives.
To generate more interest in their locations, venue managers and other hospitality professionals should embrace a strategy that respects how point and purpose affect event planners' decisions.
Rise to the Entire Agenda
In the events business, agenda can mean both the literal “meet me here" itinerary, as well as the underlying intentions of the event organizers. At a well-planned event, every experience on the schedule advances both a broader purpose and a specific point. The purpose of a company-wide annual meeting, for example, may be to boost employee engagement, retention, or morale. The more direct point may be to announce goals for the year ahead and kick off work in earnest with all employees in one place. The experiences a planner then designs for the agenda — from executive speeches to small team workshops — should all work toward the intended point and purpose. But to support the agenda effectively, those experiences must be successful in the eyes of both attendees and organizers.Understand the Venue's Critical Role
That success (or failure) often reflects on event planners, even though it depends largely on the venue's ability to rise to the occasion. For example:- What happens if registration at the company kickoff is so bottlenecked that attendees miss the CEO's opening speech and call to action? How does that affect engagement and morale?
- What if the breakout rooms are so far from each other that workshop leaders show up late to every session? How much work will teams accomplish on their new goals for the year?
Align Experience to Outcome
Venue managers sometimes fail to consider how issues like those above impact attendees and affect the perception of event planners' performance. To be better event partners, venue managers should place a higher priority on aligning point and purpose to overall execution. That starts with respecting what outcomes companies and clients expect event planners to deliver — satisfaction scores, fundraising numbers, member growth metrics, or otherwise — and providing clear, direct information on how the venue can help. It continues by respecting event-venue fit at a granular level. Leading with strengths is expected, but venue managers should also understand their weaknesses well enough to help planners adapt with point and purpose in mind.Adapt to Improve
Venue managers know their locations' opportunities and limitations better than anyone else. Translating those learnings into recommendations can boost an event's ability to meet objectives: If morning registrations slow things down, suggest mobile check-ins; if the workshop rooms are far away from each other, suggest longer sessions and more appropriate break times. Ultimately, it's about delivering optimal event experiences. The motivating point and purpose of an event affect every expectation attendees have, from the moment they sign up. Exceeding those expectations is how event planners win, and how venue managers win organizers' business again and again. For more on giving event planners what they want, download our latest eBook, What Makes an Event? 7 Things Every Hospitality Professional Should Know.
