I’ve been involved in the planning of events (presentations, speeches, large demonstrations, etc) over the past year and I’ve come to realize a few things.
- Of those that register for your event, only 30% will show up.
- To get the other 70%, follow-up with them, remind them, reach out to them, engage them and you will see this number rise.
- Subject Matter and Content get people through the doors.
- Friends are great, but if you want to leave satisfied with your work, only invite a few.
- Events with less slides and more interaction and demos are the ones that get remembered.
- Comfortable, loose clothing that reduces body heat are the best.
- Get there early, make sure everything works, wait.
- Giveaways are cheap and don’t create an audience.
- The $25 presentation pointer is a worthwhile investment.
- Jokes break the ice, questions make them think.
- Halls, Orange Juice and Advil will not cure a sore throat on the day of… but hey, now you have an Introduction.
- If your demo breaks, explain why, don’t gloss over it.
- Thanking the audience, your partners and the facilities are the most important.
- The after events where you get to talk with people are the part where you get to learn.
There are probably more, but that is all for now. I’ve done more this year than I thought and now it’s time to figure out where I want to go next.
