This document outlines an event management training session on making events more creative and engaging. The session covers identifying barriers to creativity, learning structured approaches to event planning, understanding objectives and success metrics, securing key elements like speakers and sponsors, and ensuring events are not boring through creative elements like gamification, technology, and unique networking opportunities. Attendees will work on exercises to apply the lessons to their own events and overcome barriers to making positive changes.

1. EVENT MANAGEMENT
WWW.GALLUSEVENTS.CO.UK
PRACTICALLY PERFECT PA - ASSIST EVENTS

2. WHAT WE ARE GOING TO COVER TODAY
1. IDENTIFY WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR EVENTS
2. LEARN OR EMBED A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO RUN OUR
EVENTS
3. LEARN FROM OTHER EVENTS AND EVENT ORGANISERS
4. OPEN UP YOUR CREATIVITY
5. UNDERSTAND HOW TO MAKE CHANGES THAT STICK
6. ENSURE YOUR EVENTS ARE NOT BORING
7. ENSURE THAT OTHERS HELP MAKE YOUR EVENTS DIFFERENT

3. WHAT ARE YOUR
OBJECTIVES FOR TODAY?
AND WHO ARE YOU?

9. Photo by Nina Matthews Photography - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/
photos/21560098@N06
Created with Haiku

11. “IF I GAVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY
THOUGHT THEY WANTED, THEY
WOULD HAVE SIMPLY HAD A
FASTER HORSE”
Henry Ford
CREATE THE DEMAND

13. Photo by Nina Matthews Photography - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/
photos/21560098@N06
Created with Haiku

14. ANY ADDITIONAL
OBJECTIVES?

15. IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO CHANGE
1. LACK OF TIME TO BE CREATIVITY
2. NO ONE IN THE BUILDING VALUING CREATIVITY
3. CLIENT OR STAKEHOLDERS NOT WANTING TO
TAKE ANY "RISK"
4. ATTENDEES, EXHIBITORS, SPEAKERS OR
SPONSORS NOT SUPPORTING CREATIVITY

16. WE WANT REASONS BEHIND EACH
BARRIER.
BARRIERS TO CHANGE

17. IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO CHANGE
1. LACK OF TIME TO BE CREATIVITY
2. NO ONE IN THE BUILDING VALUING CREATIVITY
3. CLIENT OR STAKEHOLDERS NOT WANTING TO
TAKE ANY "RISK"
4. ATTENDEES, EXHIBITORS, SPEAKERS OR
SPONSORS NOT SUPPORTING CREATIVITY

18. HOW DO YOU ORGANISE YOUR
EVENTS? - WHAT ARE YOUR STEPS?
AND HOW MANY ARE THERE?

20. OBJECTIVES

21. WHAT WILL A SUCCESSFUL EVENT LOOK LIKE TO YOUR
CUSTOMERS / STAKEHOLDERS AND YOUR ORGANISATION?
HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO MEASURE THIS SUCCESS?
WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SECTION OF
THIS EVENT AND THE EVENT OVERALL?
OBJECTIVES

22. CASE STUDY: HONG
KONG CONFERENCE

23. A STAFF AWAY DAY
THAT WORKED

24. BUDGET AND ALLOCATION
OF RESOURCES

25. EVENT BUDGET HEALTH CHECK
1. You have heard of such a thing as a budget?
2. Everyone involved in the event (who has some authority) has an input into the budget
3. Everyone (above) actually, physically, signs off on the budget
4. It is realistic and based on some knowledge or experience (avoiding wild guesses and SITD)
5. It is detailed, breaking down the elements as much as possible
6. It includes both income and expenditure
7. It has a clear breakeven point (if it’s for profit) or a maximum loss point
8. It shows the “actual” against the “projected”
9. It includes a contingency related to the level of risk of the event
10.You constantly refer to the budget using it to guide your decisions

26. INITIAL RESEARCH

27. REFRESHMENTS

28. LET’S JUST CHECK WHERE WE ARE
▸ You know what your customers and your organisations are
expecting from this event
▸ You know how much money you can expect to earn /
spend and who will be doing what
▸ You know that your expectations are realistic, as you have
researched to some extent the event and the details
▸ So. The next step. What is the KEY FACTOR?

30. SECURE KEY FACTORS

31. MARKET AND TAILOR
EVENT

32. SECURE REMAINING
PARTS

33. GET INVOLVED IN THE
DETAILS

34. RUN EVENT

35. TIE UP THE EVENT /
DEBRIEF

36. THE DEBRIEF
▸ To avoid the debrief is to cement mistakes
▸ Without a debrief mistakes are seldom discussed and
often hidden
▸ You have to make time for the debrief - ditch the debrief at
your peril
▸ The 20min debrief!

37. “WORKING IN A CULTURE WHICH EMBRACES
THE DEBRIEF IS A SIGN THAT A HIGH
PERFORMANCE TEAM IS SURE TO FOLLOW.”
- SQUADRON LEADER, RED ARROWS
THE DEBRIEF

38. GETTING CREATIVE

39. SOMETHING CREATIVE
I’VE DONE AT AN EVENT

40. SOMETHING CREATIVE I’VE
SEEN AT ANOTHER EVENT

43. 43

49. WHERE YOUR CREATIVITY LIVES
▸ Displaying information
▸ Old school technology
▸ Using Social Media to amplify the event
▸ Smells and the five senses
▸ Interactive spaces
▸ Personalising the experience
▸ Having a “must share”

50. LUNCH

64. MEETING DESIGN

68. Photo by x-ray delta one - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/40143737@N02 Created with Haiku Deck

70. UNIQUE NETWORKING
OPPORTUNITIES

71. REFRESHMENTS

72. HOW TO TURN ATTENDEES
INTO PARTICIPANTS

74. ADD SOME
GAMIFICATION

75. HOW TO GAMIFY YOUR EVENT
1. Ask a speaker to add a test. With a prize!
2. The more you tweet the bigger your face appears on the Twitter Wall
3. The old fashioned treasure hunt using old or new technology
4. Attendee search
5. Throughout the day mark off your progress on your objectives / social
sharing your success
6. The busiest stand / The best question / The most popular photo / quote
7. Rate and share scores for speakers
8. Be a good delegate

76. SPEAKERS OR YOUR
EXEC WHEN THEY SPEAK!

77. TEXT

78. TEXT

79. SOME SPEAKER TIPS
1. As the organiser you have to be brave!
2. Tell your speakers about “Meeting Design” send them a list of all the possible sessions
3. Ask them “What will make your session truly memorable for the attendees?”
4. Write a briefing document and make them at least read it!
5. Suggest they speak to your audience before the event
6. Tell them that even though they have given the session before they have to tailor it and they have to prepare!
7. Run a “Speaker Training Workshop”
8. Tell them that you will support their creativity!
9. Explain a few things. No one likes powerpoint. Images are MUCH stronger than bullet points. And anyway,
only 30% - 40% of their session will ever be remembered
10.Suggest they have at least three key phrases that are easily remembered and as importantly easily shareable
on social media

80. EXHIBITORS

81. TEXT

83. TEXT

87. CREATIVE SPACES

89. TEXT

90. EVENT TECHNOLOGY

96. ONLINE EVENTS

97. IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO CHANGE
1. LACK OF TIME TO BE CREATIVITY
2. NO ONE IN THE BUILDING VALUING CREATIVITY
3. CLIENT OR STAKEHOLDERS NOT WANTING TO
TAKE ANY "RISK"
4. ATTENDEES, EXHIBITORS, SPEAKERS OR
SPONSORS NOT SUPPORTING CREATIVITY

98. TO CEMENT THE LEARNING ATTENDEES WILL
WORK ON HOW TO MAKE THEIR EVENTS
DIFFERENT AND HOW THEY WILL ENSURE
THAT OTHERS HELP AND SUPPORT THOSE
CHANGES.
EXERCISE

99. EVENT MANAGEMENT
WWW.GALLUSEVENTS.CO.UK
PRACTICALLY PERFECT PA - ASSIST EVENTS