Now What?

Even when times are tough and dollars are tight, entertainment remains a critical part of event design and planning. Think about the tremendous global response to the death of Michael Jackson, not because of anything else except for the way his MUSIC made us feel.

Entertainment is an intangible bond—one that transcends words and provides an experience that is felt, not articulated. Music, dance, laughter is the “glue” and often, the “reward” at meetings. Name entertainment is also  a tremendous promotional tool—one that can be used  to entice attendees to come to this very special “private” event, after a long day, filled with content.

Last week, Sheryl Crow performed at SHRM’s annual meeting in New Orleans, in front of 10,000 people. She rewrote the entire first verse of Place In the Sun, customizing it for HR professionals. What more could you ask for?

Beyond the traditional trappings of entertainment, it is also a concept for creating a more enjoyable experience for attendees. Entertainment can be woven into the fabric of any piece of a meeting to reinforce key ideas or messages in non-traditional yet very memorable ways.

How are you using entertainment at your meetings? How is it making a difference in the experience you are creating for your attendees?

If you attended the event sponsored by Marriott in Orlando, then you know that it was an outstanding example of a well designed experience. If you missed it then these video clips will give you a glimpse of what a meeting experience can be if it’s designed with intention.

• Thank You
• Valued
• Equipped
• Wowed

The key impressions that we agreed upon every attendee should feel were: valued, equipped, and wowed.  These impressions served as the filters through which every decision was made from the curriculum, entertainment, welcome reception and speakers to the staging, the food, the venue selection and the seating design.

There was nothing conventional about this convention. We broke all of the rules and as a result increased attendance, executed at a significantly lower budget, and delivered an event that had a clear impact on customer and brand loyalty.

Did you attend? If so let me hear from you about what moved you.

If you weren’t there, what intrigues you about the elements of this event?

What if you had a meeting and no one came?  Ok, so it’s not that bad, but aren’t you worried that the decline in attendance this year may leave your members and customers questioning the value of attending in 2010?

“Do I really need to be away from the office? What did I really miss? Can’t I get most of what I need  from the website, publications, and webinars held each month?”

I hear from meetings and marketing folks that all bets are off this year,“with attendance declines from 5% to 50% what do we have to loose?” Two for one offers, discounts to trade show exhibitors, reduced room rates, and other “deal sweeteners” are common.  But, be careful in the “race to the bottom”.  Discounts are temporary and they erode your value proposition.  While price reductions work, there are other options.  Promoting your meeting by giving potential attendees a chance to sample the content through a Livecasting event can really make a difference —sending video testimonials in an e-mail from the attendees who are coming and providing a “self-scoring quiz” that makes it clear that only at your event can they learn and experience the latest insight and knowledge available in your industry.

What are you doing to drive attendance this year?