Four Lessons to Carry Back to Live Events
We are going to gather—in person—again! The live events industry is poised for a comeback. No doubt the road back to in-person events will be uncharted and bewildering territory for many organizers; paved with puzzling new obstacles like fluctuating health and safety regulations. The key to navigating the uncertainty (particularly when it comes to the ongoing pandemic) is acknowledging possible challenges in advance and adopting a community-first approach to planning and building connections between your attendees and your organization. Kennedy Events is here to help guide the way.
With companies and attendees burnt out on virtual events, everyone is excited to see live events poised to take center stage. However, innovative event leaders understand that we will not be returning to the way things were in 2019. From budgets and technology to attendee expectations, the future will be a departure from the events of the “before times.”
You’re Going to Need a Bigger Budget
It can feel like that moment in the movie “Jaws” when they realize they are up against something bigger than they have ever seen before. With inflation rising, supply chain challenges continuing, travel costs increasing, and salaries ballooning for top talent, things are getting more expensive on all fronts. We are seeing a 20% increase across the board for live events, and we are cautioning our clients to plan for the increase; even before layering in the cost of hybrid technology, more facilitated community building, and flying in a now remotely dispersed workforce. Kennedy Events is armed from the beginning with a new-reality budget to make sure there are no surprises around the corner.
Health and Safety Measures as a Designated Budget Item
Acknowledge that while attendees are eager to return to live events, there is still apprehension about attending large-scale activations with hoards of people. Your budget will need to account for the health and safety items that will support your community; don’t allow the additional spend to be a sticker shock later in the planning process. Implementing health and safety measures will mean new line items in your event budget. Things like administering rapid tests, collecting proof of vaccination, contactless technology, and requiring masks, all come with extra costs.
Be Nimble. Plan for the unexpected and have ways to pivot at the ready as various public health situations change.
Communicate Contingency Plans. Once you’ve confirmed event plans, communicate early and often with everyone involved. Be transparent and proactive. Tell them about plan A and plan B, so they know what will happen if you need to shift to the contingency plan. Don’t let attendees forget that, above all else, their safety and comfort are your priorities. Clear communication helps build and sustain partner relationships.
Content is King: Continue to Drive Emotionally Engaging Events
Virtual events have rewritten the playbook for event professionals. If our experience within the virtual realm has taught us anything, it’s that the future of events will be defined by an ongoing need for punchy content. Say goodbye to the days of sitting through hour-long PowerPoint sessions, overpacking content, and not allowing enough time for breaks. Say hello to “snackable” content and lots of time for connection. Emotion is what drives brand loyalty.
Here are a few tips to ramp up the emotional investment of your attendees and keep them engaged:
Don’t Overstuff Your Agenda. Organize your session by tracks and create a multi-track agenda so attendees can view the options most relevant to them.
Create an Interactive Event Agenda
Offer content-based and experience-based sessions, use participation activities and hands-on workshops to increase engagement, and accommodate a range of learning styles and interests.
Make sure that each session can be liked and rated which allows the organizer to collect valuable information to draw actionable insights and keeps attendees engaged throughout.
Keep the Length of Your Sessions in Check. If sessions drag on too long, your attendees will tune out. If they are too short, it will leave them feeling unfulfilled with the experience they received. These are best practices by session length:
Opening introductions should be less than five minutes long.
Keynote speeches should fill 45-60 minutes.
Workshops that need to dig deep last between 60-120 minutes.
Breakout sessions with a light lift should take between 30-60 minutes.
Panel discussions typically last between 45-60 minutes.
Don’t forget to include dedicated time for your attendees to meet and greet one another. Now, more than ever, connection is at the forefront of people’s minds. Cultivate your brand community by giving your guests the opportunity to build relationships and forge strong connections. Your organization will benefit!
Hybrid is the New Normal
Event technology is primed to break down physical barriers by opening up shared experiences to attendees who might otherwise be left out; not just due to logistical, geographical, or financial challenges, but also technological ones. The payoff? Virtual event technology has opened the door to immersive experiences where attendee engagement can be measured. This means better insights that will ultimately help you build your brand, business, and community.
In the coming years, driving inclusivity and reach will continue to be paramount. Consistent, year-round, on- and off-line touch points are set to become more prominent as the virtual pivot demonstrated an ample opportunity to increase frequency and scale; helping organizations to fully capitalize on the audience growth and retention possibilities.
The bar has been raised on production value and the creativity required to enrapture your attendees. While bigger budgets can afford the cinematic magic of high-quality production fit for a movie set, you’ll need to at least factor in lower-cost options to level up your event production value. This could mean factoring in LED designs, interactive digital displays, and novel content and room setups to amplify the storytelling experience and engage your audience.
Pro Tip: Market both the in-person and virtual attendee options for your event and let your attendees decide which one is best suited for them. Be sure to capture the audience you’ve built virtually over the past two years.
Looking to Produce a Live Event?
As we return to live events after years away, the mystery of navigating the new normal of live event formats can leave you confused on a clear path forward. Our expert planners are always testing, exploring, and stretching event trends. Schedule some time with us today and we’ll work with you to adapt your event to meet the needs of your attendees, unlocking the exciting possibilities of successfully leveraging the power of live events for your business.
PAIGE BUCK
Paige Buck is the co-owner of Kennedy Events, a large-scale event management company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Our team creates stress-free conferences and events with a positive impact, which allows our clients to resonate with their audience. Kennedy Events specializes in producing flawless product launches, award ceremonies, fundraisers, and multi-day conferences while keeping our eye on retention and engagement goals.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began with one goal in mind—to produce high-level corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Maggie founded the company in 2000, found her match in Paige, and in 2011 the two became official partners. Since then, these two resourceful and brilliant creatives have pooled their strengths to build one one of the most the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
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