We recently surveyed Marcomms Professionals to find out more about creating successful events. We were curious to know the reasons why Marcomms Professionals put on events and industry insiders shared five reasons:
- Education-driven – to bring in outside expertise to provide lasting value or to help new ideas stick
- Award-driven – awards, prize giving & celebrations
- Objective-driven– i.e. These events are driven by a single outcome i.e client retention & requisition
- Interest-driven – built around the interests and hobbies of the team, but designed to help them understand the business landscape better
- Relationship driven – a networking opportunity to meet and mingle with the supply chain with the event/ speaker as a focal point of the meeting
This article explores Objective-Driven Events. We’re exploring it here to give you new insights that will help you when it comes to creating successful events in the future.
You will want to know this information because it will:
1. Help your company improve its ROI on events
2. Help you in your career (because this article shares information few others in the industry have been privy to!).
The Main Issues & Challenges In Running Objective-Driven Events
The purpose of an objective-driven event is to achieve a single outcome, for example, to improve client retention. An outside speaker will provide some inspiration and the team will use that as fuel to create solutions.
The main issues and challenges in running events objective driven events include:
- Finding speakers that fit into a 12-month strategy. Doing this means the event is not isolated because the event and the speakers make sense to everyone
- Buy-in – Everyone is giving up time, so the event has to be seen as worthwhile and handle a clearly defined objective
How Do You Build An Objective Driven Event?
It’s easy to build an objective-driven event if the business has clearly defined goals, a 12-month strategy and a 90-day focus. If these items are not in place, it’s much harder to define the objective, find a speaker who will fit a worthwhile purpose and get buy-in from your team or audience.
When the goals, strategy and focus are clearly defined, it dictates the type of speaker and topic required. It then makes sense to the audience and buy-in is therefore higher.
A company with a clearly defined 12-month objective could run an event at the launch of the objective, then run follow-up sessions every 90 days that build on the objective. For example, they could invite in one speaker who returns every 90 days to embed the objective further and offer reminders, or they could invite a different speaker every 90 days and get a slightly different take on the objective.
What Are Objective Driven Events?
An objective-driven event is built around the company or departmental objectives. For example, a company may set a growth objective. Often the assumption is that sales & marketing drive growth, but this isn’t always the case. It could require a companywide objective.
If sales and marketing grow the business by 25% every year, but client retention is low, fixing the retention issue would pay dividends. This could mean improving the soft skills in the customer service team. It could mean upskilling in accounts, or it may mean sales and marketing need to increase growth.
As growth happens it affects the business. New people come into the organisation, standards change, systems and processes may need upgrading, departments may change shape, and reporting changes. In all the flux people are affected. Stress levels may increase, and people’s health may be damaged. For this reason, the company going through growth may want to consider the impact that growth has on its people too.
Using “growth” as an example of a companywide objective highlights a number of different areas a company needs to be aware of, as it grows. The keynote speakers the company employs to speak at its events can help support the objectives.
Where can you find keynote speakers who can support objectives?
When we asked marcomms professionals how they sourced speaking talent. Responses included:
• Their network
• Agencies
• Other events
• Their industry
• Use talent within the company
• No go-to plan. Probably start with Google
Hiring a speaker is without a doubt easier if you have a clear objective for your event. Our article on hiring a speaker will help you decide the best way to find a speaker and help you understand the budget and the process involved.
Keynote speakers will always want to know about objectives. They’ll also want to know about company values and mission, as well as an indication of the audience’s knowledge of the topic you want them to speak about. This helps them pitch their presentation at the right level.
Working with Stellar Speakers…
We believe all keynote speakers should be Stellar Speakers – able to entertain, connect with an audience and make a positive impact. As a unique speaker agency representing change-making keynote speakers, we provide expertise to help you manage your budgetary expectations and provide realistic options. We provide a preferred partner’s service base, so that partner clients get everything they need, lowering your risk as a booker of speakers, so you can make your choice about your next speaker with confidence.
