Have a ‘Plan B’ when holding an event!

One of the many services we offer at Novus Marketing Solutions is event marketing. As an agency, we hold our own events, and we’ve also helped many clients reach dizzying heights of visibility when helping market their events, so we like to think we know a bit about putting on a good show.

One aspect that can be the biggest threat to any event is the organisers having no ‘Plan B’. They become so focused on the intended event that when life or Mother Nature throws a spanner in the works, they’ve no contingency plans that can help them roll with the punch; they instead freeze or dissolve rather than adapting the event to the change in circumstances.

Here are our top three tips:

Don’t trust the weather!

Yes, it may be an August event and every weatherperson across the land is predicting sunshine, but if you’re of a certain age you’ll remember the Michael Fish disaster in 1987. Back then, Michael emphatically reassured a worried viewer who had rung the television studio, concerned that a hurricane was to hit the UK. “I can assure people, one isn’t,” he declared.

Hours later, gales measuring 115mph battered the bottom half of the country. 18 people died and an incredible 15 million trees were unearthed. The repair bill topped £2bn, which was an incredible tidy sum in the eighties.

The moral of this story is: the forecast may say it’s going to be a beautiful day for your outdoor event, but don’t rely on this. Consider what you could do/where you could move to if the heavens opened at the last minute. It may not happen, but at least if it does, you’ll have an idea of how to ensure your event remains memorable - for the right reasons.

Always factor in more pairs of hands

However many people you’ve calculated you’ll need to help run your event, add in a few more. For the simple reason someone may fall ill on the day, or just because there will undoubtedly be a host of unforeseen-but-absolutely-necessary jobs to do as the event unfolds. It’s always better to have too many people than too few to help everything run smoothly.

Think about your guests

When marketing anything – whether it’s an event, a three-man tent, or the latest electric car – don’t get so carried away with the bells and whistles that you forget what the event is about and who it’s for. It’s easy to become fixated on decoration and making the surroundings beautiful for those attending, but if no one comes the energy and extra spend you’ll incur will be wasted.

Why are you running your event? Who’s your audience/perfect guest? Why would they leave their home and give their precious time to attend – what will they receive or hope to achieve by coming along? Is the location/venue perfect for them and the event, or is it just convenient for you?

Play devil’s advocate and argue every element that you’ve put in place. Justify your choice of venue, the timing of your event, the ticket price, whether catering should/shouldn’t be considered….for example, some people may notice that string of bunting you’ve spent ages tracking down to hang across the back wall, but many others won’t. They will, however, find it difficult to forget a lack of decent parking, or being cramped in a room that’s too small for the number of people attending; they’ll grumble over bland refreshments and speakers that put them to sleep. Get the basics right and give these elements the attention they deserve. Afterwards, if you still have time to focus on further frivolities and embellishments, happy days.

Novus knows how to get ‘bums on seats’, and we also have a knack of promoting an event as it happens, and afterwards, so that it raises the profile of the organiser or organisation that has put in all the hard work.

We use a variety of techniques, both online and offline; so, if you’re thinking of running an event, get in touch and find out how we can help make it a stratospheric success