In the corporate world, we are only as good as our last triumph. How we’re perceived is heavily influenced by our most recent actions and results. So what better way to shape that perception than by planning for the next coup. For event managers, it would be acing the upcoming event. Let’s explore how an event manager can leverage the next event to climb up the ladder.
Setting sights on a the right goal
In order to ask for a promotion, an event manager would need some leverage, which would be the results that make your boss sit up and take notice. Let’s start with the most obvious question that throws some light on what these results are – What does the CxO want? This question needs to be defined because the way an event manager defines as success for an event, would be different from the upper management’s expectations.
Events are no longer viewed as cost centers to a company. Organizations that still do, need to wake up to the reality that event spends come with the expectation of real and quantifiable returns. Each spend for the company comes under ROI scrutiny.
There are different schools of thought on what constitutes ROI at an event. But the simplest and most direct way to measure ROI is by the sales opportunities that result from the event. In other words, it’s the sales pipeline being built at these trade shows that justify the massive spends.
For companies to remain afloat, everyone’s agenda must be aligned into bringing in sales for the company. And that’s exactly what the events team needs to do. Event managers looking to get a leg up need to look at how much sales the event that they are managing reels in.
How Event Managers can help build sales pipeline
Where does sales happen at an event? It’s the same place where new prospects are courted, and the same place where sales deals that are in progress are nudged along. The meetings.
The meetings are where their sales pipeline is built. All the event spends, weeks and months of planning, all that last minute running around builds up to the sales meetings. The entire success of the event hinges on these meetings.
An event manager who focuses on the meetings, can deliver the right kind of results that makes their names ring out in the corporate boardroom. Because meetings just don’t happen of their own accord. A lot can go wrong. There are multiple complexities in managing a large volume of meetings.
Here’s a quick checklist for smooth meeting management at the next event:
- Ensuring that the meeting rooms booked are large enough to accommodate the estimated number of meetings.
- Directly liaising with the sales team to meet their expectations and to enable them to do their jobs.
- Avoiding time-zone errors, and double bookings. Double bookings are notorious for derailing sales meetings, and it’s entirely possible to double book both attendees, and meeting rooms.
- Ensuring that no-shows (for both internal and external attendees) are minimized.
- Monitoring meetings real-time to quickly resolve any issues.
- Collecting data for post-event reports, to showcase the sales pipeline that was built at the event.
We understand that this is not an easy ask, and is difficult to pull off single-handedly. That’s where a meeting management software is useful. We hope this information comes in handy when you’re plotting to upgrade your career. Onwards and upwards!
