Chapter 2 Highlights:

• There are three main elements to identify when planning a meeting/event:
  • What are the main objectives?
  • Who are the attendees and/or stakeholders?
  • What does success mean and how is it measured?
• Dig deep to identify potential challenges and hidden assumptions – they might not be obvious, but it’s worth it to uncover them early on.
• Guiding template for accurate identification:
  • Organization – On what part of the organization’s strategy should the meeting/event be focused?
  • Proposition – What is the key message/takeaway of the meeting/event?
  • The Attendee – Identify who the attendees are so that you can craft the message/content accordingly and ensure that they walk away having learned and appreciated that message
  • Emotional Benefits/Insights – Goes along with identifying the attendees / what will really resonate with them and motivate them to help your organization achieve the meeting/event goals?
  • Unique Experience – Including a unique experience or experiences will make that much more of a lasting impression on the attendees
  • Definition of Success/Business Objectives – What tangible and intangible results do you hope to achieve with the meeting/event? And how are you going to measure them?
  • Mandatories – There are some components that will be essential to the success of your meeting/event. Identify what those are so you can have a baseline upon which to add/grow.
  • Resources & Scope – Be clear from the beginning what resources will be required to make the meeting/event successful. Will you outsource all of the meeting planning or will you try to do it all with existing staff? Or a combination? Make sure that a realistic budget is set and adhered to. And make sure that all deadlines are communicated well in advance.

Stay tuned for a chapter 3 recap about how to design a successful meeting/event!