Can your event planner provide strategic insight?

What do you expect of a high-quality event planner? What criteria do you use to sift the wheat from the chaff? Because while you might think that being organised, efficient and a clear communicator is enough, the truth is that you’re going to need considerably more skills on hand to turn your event from the humdrum to the hot and happening.

This article is the first in a series of 10 articles on things your event planner should know but probably doesn’t, and it’s all about being able to provide strategic insight. Before we begin, it’s important that you, as one of your company’s key strategic decision-makers, know that your event has to align with your company’s goals. It cannot be a thoughtless add-on, or a means of dispensing with excess budget towards the end of your financial year. That kind of approach only places you on rocky financial and reputational territory.

Instead, there has to be a seamless coherence between the motivations behind your event, its execution and your long-term vision. As part of this, you also need to consider the experience you want your delegates to have and how this plays into your strategy. Are you trying to expand your client base, further entrench the loyalty of the one that already exists, or a bit of both? What do these different audiences need?

Consider all of these touchpoints carefully and know that, if your event planner is worth their salt, they need to have a firm grasp of your long-term outlook, too, and be able to guide you along the way. This means that they need to be deeply familiar not only with your business, but with your industry and competitors as well. Their research needs to be on point, their advice strong and sound, and their positioning of your event within this space spot on.

Can your event planner offer strategic insight?