The BusyEvent Blog

Until going green becomes economical, are greenbacks more important than a carbon footprint? The view of many is that buying ‘green’ is consumerism with little ethical sprinkles on top.

Our entire economy is structured around built-in obsolescence from dispensable razors to food containers with no reasonable way to recycle them, technology that lasts 18 months and miles of carpet, Cat5 cable, lanyards and badges and all of the brochures at an event that serve their purpose and then are added to the junk heap of our lives after barely a few days of use.

Wire’s Marcus Timson, “Until a complete revolution in the minds and behavior of the consumer takes place, the environment will continue to be a fashionable marketing asset rather than a genuine care.”

This is especially true of the 78 Billion dollar printing industry where going green has been stifled under the pressures of an economic meltdown. There is a far more basic need than the environment; employment. However, if we continue to destroy our blue marble, how can we ultimately deliver anything worthwhile to our industry?

Again, according to Timson: “As an industry, it is not our fault that we pollute. It is not our responsibility to save the planet. We exist because there is a need. For the majority of society, motivated more by survival and desire for the protection of a nice lifestyle – going green is not a priority.” The view of many is that buying ‘green’ is consumerism with little ethical sprinkles on top.

So, what are we going to do? Even if we accept that there may be some manipulation of the earth warming data, shouldn’t we have some concern about the melting ice caps, the floating islands of garbage in the oceans, the un-breathable air and the never ending growth of waste land?

Until we get rid of the “greenwashing” of our language, will we ever, truly, green the events industry? Let’s accept the fact that most of us look for quality first, then costs and then . . . after a long line of variables . . . the green impact. Sure, if it’s easy we’ll do it but if it’s a choice between green and economics, which do you choose? Which do you promote to your client that has already told you their budgets are tight? Which, ultimately, wins out and when will that change, if ever?

And more to the point, who should step up to make that change? Clients? Event Managers? Technology providers? Society? Uncle Sam?

10 Ways to Better, Cheaper, Faster and Greener Events in 2010 #eventprofs

For the events industry, 2010 will be a year of resolutions. It seems the harder times become, the more we resolve to do something about it. And like many New Year’s past, we already know what to do.  We just get complacent and forget. This year we don’t have that luxury.  The old way of operating an event, expo, congress or trade show will be left behind in the 00’s.  Skip the fad diets that promise to deliver quick results and quirky technologies that promise success. Here are our 10 best ways to make your events better, cheaper, faster and greener in 2010 and beyond:

1. Use technology, but only as a tool. There are several technologies that can help create better event communication and connectivity, but you must have a solid foundation of information.  It is this information that allows your attendees to come back and connect with people, products and ideas they found useful.  People vote with their eyes and mouse clicks and the sooner you can capture this information, the sooner your sponsors and vendors will pay you for the opportunity to connect with the right attendees using the right messages.
2. Knowledge is power. Events are all about information. How many came, who liked the speaker, is this room big enough?  What if you could get your data in real time to improve an event in progress?  For example, if a speaker is presenting three times and after the first time you get useful feedback, wouldn’t it be nice to make some adjustments before the other two presentations?  Your attendees decided to come to your event this year, reward them with the best event experience you can create.
3. A list is just a list. Since when did a list of names constitute qualified leads or interested people? Scrutinize any area of your event that does not return some level of qualification information.  Start by looking at how attendees connect with one another and see if there’s a way you can help facilitate those connections. Look at social networking tools. It’s the best place to see benefit from this emerging trend.
4. Eliminate paper and become smarter. The only brochure that tells you it’s being read is the one on-line. Going green is more than saving trees, budgets, and reducing carbon footprints.  Electronic materials are a critical component of the qualification process for expo vendors, speakers and sponsors.  Look for ways to make it easier to engage with your event without the bag of paper. On-line information tells us who, what and when which leads to why and how.
5. Events are no longer controlled by the event producer. Every attendee and exhibitor has a public voice (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) that can turn a small incident into a catastrophe or a nice event into the best conference ever. By being engaged and nurturing the communications going on in the background, you can encourage event participants to help sell and promote “their” event by owning a part of the conversation and creating a more meaningful experience.

6. Content is King. Virtual and web-based events are competing more than ever with live events. Work with the subject matter experts to deliver high-quality content and a unique event experience. Get the speakers involved early and make them part of the online conversation. Invite them to participate in the event social network and set up a method for them to meet-and-greet attendees. And most importantly, make sure you’ve spoken with and coordinated your speaker’s needs to eliminate the last-minute fire drill.
7. KISS (Keep it simple). People gravitate toward simple and easy things that are worth the effort. For example, many people have a LinkedIn or Facebook profile that they keep up to date. Tools that make use of existing information make it easier for people to participate. High levels of participation in social networking lead to better and successful events.
8. CFOs are your new marketing partner. If you can’t prove it, it won’t get funded. You should be able to communicate the types of return on investment created for each stakeholder group. Then align yourself with the venues, vendors, participants, exhibitors and attendees who are looking for the types of ROI you can provide. Solid partnerships based on shared expectations is a recipe for great success.
9. Monitoring other people’s costs. You’ve worked hard to cut costs and be frugal around your event, but what about the vendors? If 300 vendors in an expo are going to spend $300 to rent a piece of equipment that generates a list (and you know how we feel about lists) ask yourself what would $90,000 spent differently do to help the vendors and the event.  By eliminating paper brochures you run a greener meeting, but you also trim an average of $5,000 out of each vendor’s costs for design, printing, shipping, drayage and storage the average materials sent to a show. Multiplied by 300 vendors that’s $1,500,000 in savings in your event alone.
10. And now a word from the sponsors. Sponsors are the ones who make up the difference in dollars between the event you can afford and the one attendees want. Those sponsors want many of the same things as the other groups.  As you make better habits for gathering real time event information, the opportunity to turn that information into sponsor revenue is the next frontier.  Simply placing logos on signage isn’t going to get the sponsors to keep stepping up. They want more of a partnership with the event and a relationship with the attendees.  The more you know about your event, the better equipped you will be to offer sponsors the custom programs they desire.

We’re going to be online at the EXPOTECH Virtual Conference on Dec 15th, answering questions about our BusyEvent software and our new BeLinkers. Register now to “attend” the conference online.

#eventprofs #tradeshow Are We Still Complaining About That?

The value of tradeshows, relative to their costs, was the topic of a recent blog post by Chris Valentine of the T3 Expo.

In it, Chris overviews an article written by Thomas Powers of the Chicago Tribune who looks at a survey of 210 exhibitors at the National Food Processors show and found that 58% considered not exhibiting the following year, while 25% had already decided to drop out of subsequent events because of costs.

Sound familiar? Ironically this article was written on July 18….1971!

To Chris’ point, “Since then, the options for marketing dollars have expanded exponentially and here we are 38 years later hearing the same comments“.  And, if you click through the link above, you’ll get to participate in a short survey that asks which items you’d like to see improved to make tradeshows more valuable.

If Chris had asked us, which he didn’t, we’d add another ‘answer’; “Create real ROI“.

The real question then becomes, “How?” . . . here’s an example:

Recently, along with our partners at the Creative Producer’s Group, we completed an event for 3,200 attendees.  As part of the checkin process, each attendee was provided a beLinker.  Throughout the 3 day event, attendees beLinked each other, the exhibitor booths and the products they were interested in, participated in audience response and were able to beLink the sessions and have access to the information presented without having to carry home big bags of printed documents or scribbled notes on the back of business cards.

Here are some numbers:

• 3200 total attendees, 3 day event, covered 500,000 sf of meetings space using 12 bantennas (see what a beLinker Bantenna is – see that little grey thing on top, that’s the wireless transceiver, 9 feet off the ground).
• Number of messages processed by the beLinker system during the event: ~265,000
  • That means on average, each attendee sent 83 separate messages using their beLinker, to beLink a person, a product/exhibitor booth/breakout session materials and participate in ARS.
• Total number of beLinks between people (making social networking connections, person-to-person): ~153,000
• Total number of beLinks to companies (attendees beLinking acompany to access their information) : ~90,000
• Total number of audience response question votes: ~17,000
• The average attendee beLinked:
  • ~45 other people
  • ~28 companies and their products
  • Interacted with 9 breakout sessions (to download or have access to the presentation materials) and
  • Answered 22 questions
• The attendee with the most beLinks made ~1200 people-to-people connections.
• The average company was beLinked to by 424 people (that equates to 424 active and qualified leads for each and every company at the event).
  • The company with the most beLinks had ~1500 qualified leads.
• The session that used audience response most effectively had ~2200 ‘answers’ during their ARS.
• The dozen members of the Executive Team each had more than ~1700 beLinks to their profiles.

Now, post event, all of this information is now being accessed online and for the past 3 weeks, the beLinker System has seen:

• ~24,000 individual logins by more than
• 2,200 attendees leading to more than
• 15,000 individual downloads and links to products, presentations and other marketing materials with
• More than 800 secure messages sent by people through the system, to each other.
• More than 6,200 additional connections (this is after the event has concluded) to people, products or other information using their virtual beLinker tools.

So, what’s the ROI?:

• More than $50,000 in savings relative to printed materials.
• A massive reduction in the carbon foot print of the event.
• A private social network has been created so that attendees can continue to connect, share and communicate.
• The opportunity for exhibitors to generate a real ROI for their efforts.
• Active information, rather than passive, available in real-time, that allows event producers to act and improve their event as it occurs.
• Capturing event information that can be monetized both currently and into the future.
• More revenues to the event venue owner without more costs to the producer or attendees.
  
• Interaction and activation.
• Fun, Fun and more fun!

So, as Chris did I’d like to ask you:  “Are tradeshow general service contractors doing enough to not only sustain, but grow the tradeshow and event industry“?

If not, is ROI what you’re looking for or perhaps, what other what improvements or changes would like to see?

Changing the Tradeshow Industry with a New Breed of Apps #eventprofs #iaee

IAEE – the International Association of Exhibitions and Events – published a very intriguing article about the Changing Tradeshow Industry and a new breed of event applications.  As you may know, Expo! Expo! is coming up early December, so the timing for discussions about how the tradeshow and events industry is being improved is perfect.

In addition to a variety of tools that are ‘web only’, BusyEvent’s Event Bookmarking System and the use of beLinkers is broadly highlighted.

Enjoy!

• Changing the Tradeshow Industry with a New Breed of Apps (PDF)
• IAEE Exhibitions and Events Magazine for Expo! Expo!

What the Wiggles Can Teach Us #eventprofs #tradeshow #assnchat

Luckily, perhaps, my family escaped the “Wiggles” phenomenon.  But after reading what Max Kalehoff from MediaPost writes about his recent experience, it’s clear these entertainers “get it”, when it comes to how to successfully utilize social media – and the excitement of their fans – to help market their brand.

One of the unfortunate turnoffs of big entertainment acts is the accompanying rules that forbid audience recording or broadcasting. Such policies cast a negative tone even months before the event. Consider the ubiquitous “NO CAMERAS/VIDEO/RECORDER” warnings that boldly talk down to fans on Ticketmaster-issued tickets.

Which is why I was delighted by my family’s recent experience with The Wiggles, the hugely successful rock band for preschoolers, from Australia.

Our two-year-old son Julian is a passionate Wiggles fan, and has every single Wiggles concert and musical episode saved in our Netflix streaming queue. So when the band announced its arrival in the New York area, there was no way we weren’t going. I wasn’t losing sleep over The Wiggles, but Julian was.

My expectations were low, and driven lower by having to listen to them during the entire car ride to the show. We paid more than a few good dollars to hear a bunch of middle-aged men in neon, skintight shirts perform rock-n-roll versions of nursery rhymes — alongside Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, and Wags the Dog.

But once they came on stage, with thousands of preschoolers screaming with anticipation and joy, my feelings toward them changed. After introducing themselves — “Hello everyone, we’re Jeff, Murray, Anthony and Sam” — the first thing The Wiggles did was establish their policy on recording and broadcasting.

Unlike most other big commercial acts, they asked all the children and parents to please take as many photos and videos as they could — and to share them on the Internet, on places like YouTube. The more the kids and parents shared, the more others around the world be able to join in on the experience. After that policy establishment, cameras and camera-enabled mobile phones started going off everywhere.

That policy is smart. For one, it says that The Wiggles genuinely want to please their fans — to let them do what they want to do. Second, that policy encourages fans to further immerse themselves in the experience and become more loyal. Third, encouraging concert attendees to capture and share their experience with the world automatically turns their million of fans into an even more powerful, mega marketing machine. The more people who join in on the experience, the more enjoyable the whole act becomes.

The immediate result for us? My son walked out and soon purchased more Wiggles albums, and insisted I commit to taking the family to see them again in concert. This is all a self-fulfilling prophecy. Despite mesmerizing songs and performances, this policy helps explain why The Wiggles made an estimated $45 million dollars in 2007.

Without a doubt, The Wiggles can teach most dull marketers a thing or two on how to be successful: be authentic, let go and engage your fans. And don’t insult those fans with policies that forbid them from sharing the experience.

“Click Here’s” for the Yom Kippur Weekend #eventprofs #stl

Oiy!  Here we go . . .

• Matt Lauer, Today Show Co-Host, Buys A Home in the Hampton’s:
  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204488304574429132239900184.html

• 21 Ways To Get Something, for Nothing:
  http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/chi-090926get-free-stuff-pictures,0,6092970.photogallery

• Social Media & Events – It’s About Connecting People:
  http://www.slideshare.net/crystalaolig/social-media-events

• Tradeshow Metrics by MediaHound:  A Search Engine for the Tradeshows Industry:
  http://tradeshowmetrics.com/

• How to Sound a Shofar:
  http://www.youtube.com/v/mGKMhQBTabc

Can You Afford To Do It The Old Fashioned Way? #eventprofs #assnchat

Part 2 of 2:  Taking good ideas into the future

In Part 1 of this series (Better, Cheaper, Faster and Greener . . . You Want ‘Em All?) we provided an overview of some events technologies and how they are being used to cut costs and run a more sustainable meeting or event.  Part 2 brings together additional ideas for how modernizing an event and taking advantage of some new trends will actually continue to lower the cost of running a successful event.

Some say we’re starting to claw our way out of this current recession. But we all know things will never be the same again.  Much of the cost-cutting measures we’ve endured will remain in effect for years to come.  Splurging for better food, entertainment or production will likely return as the belt loosens up.  However, the need for efficiency, connectivity and better data coming out of an event is here to stay.  The realization that an event can run more efficiently and for less money isn’t something a CFO soon forgets.

For example, think about the trends in social networking.  Did you realize part of what is driving technologies like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook is the public’s demand for connectivity?  More people are looking for a new or better job. Sales professionals are clamoring for their next leads.  The general public wants to connect on a personal or professional level.  Over the past several months, we have come to rely on social networking to fill the void that was otherwise fulfilled through more traditional means. As a result, we are now seeing new technologies to help people connect before, during and after a tradeshow or event.

The Old Way
Used to be, there were a specific list of events you attended each year.  You’d sign up and show up. Maybe look at the event website and do a little planning, but for the most part, you knew what you were going to do: Attend some sessions, walk the show floor, meet colleagues and renew the learning and motivation that comes from a good event.

1. You show up at the event,
2. collect your badge, bag and show materials.
3. Then proceed to fill your bag and fill your mind with information.
4. When the event ends, you sift your bag and decide what will make it home.
5. Back at the office you have fallen behind so you dive back into work with another pile on your desk as a memory of the event.
6. There are follow-up emails, mailers, phone calls and some of the information remains useful, but much of it fades within a few weeks.

A brief look at the dollars spent to create a temporary immersion is a bit troubling if the average experience looks like this.  You or your company spent money for you to go, vendors spent money to get your attention and the event producer spent lots of money and labor to arrange the event.

The New Way
It is no longer assumed that you will simply attend the events you’ve always gone to.  Attendance is down because people have to be more selective with their shrinking budgets. So how does one choose which shows to attend?

Much of the benefit is now available well ahead of the event.

• Through better event websites, people can browse the event contents.
• Social networking is embedded into the pre-event communications so attendees can easily see who in their LinkedIn or Facebook networks is going.
• Speakers have fan pages, bios, blogs and online materials to review.
• Vendors are scheduling booth appointments and launching full-scale marketing campaigns to pre-qualify the leads.

All of this pre-event activity ensures the dollars spent will turn into value for every participant. During the event, technology is being used so attendees can gather electronic materials to their personal web page.  Co-workers back at the office can see what is happening at the show since fewer are attending this year.  Twitter feeds, streaming video and even virtual events happen as simultaneous channels to the live event so there are more ways to interact.

We’re seeing that while attendance may be down, the quality of the attendee is way up.  A single exchange of information now has lasting impact for entire groups of people instead of a fading memory.

After the event, there is web-based content to keep the discussions going.  Electronic reporting ensures follow-ups are relevant and qualified.  Where all of the data and connectivity is new and exciting, what’s even more exciting?  These new methods cost less than the old way.  Trackable and electronic information is replacing traditional design, printing, shipping and drayage.  Other reductions in the expense of attendance tracking, lead management equipment and labor add up to tens of thousands of dollars a show must reduce to stay healty.

Making the transition
This is not an overnight evolution.  It starts with knowing your audience and listening to what they want.  Timing is critical because this is already happening.

Many organizations have made the first few steps to add some social networking components.  Rather than taking a reactionary approach to shrinking attendance and weakening sponsor/vendor support, reach out to those groups and open a discussion on how you are modernizing your event to create better value for everyone involved.

Select a partner that can help you maximize your existing resources and make the transition to a relevant and connected event that will survive and event thrive in ANY economy.

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Also, as a reminder, remember to vote for The BusyEvent Blog as the Best Educational Blog for the Events Professionals Award!

“Click Here’s” for the Weekend of September 18, 2009 – #eventprofs #stl

In honor of the Jewish New Year – La Shana Tova:

• Old Jews Telling Jokes | The Breakfast Table:
  http://blip.tv/play/gp0JgaCFdQI

• St. Louis Social Media Report | Jack Dorsey from Twitter:
  http://stlsocialmediareport.com/jack-dorsey-webster-university/

• The Swamp | Little Girls, Big Fathers and Giant Love:
  http://tinyurl.com/mvtmat

• Penn State Football | WhiteHouse 2009:
  http://tinyurl.com/mct6nj

• Event View | Optimism and Advice on Events in a Repression:
  http://eventview.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/exhibition-trend-research/

Better, Cheaper, Faster and Greener . . . You Want ‘Em All? #eventprofs

Part 1 of 2: Recession Proofing Your Green Event

Two of the most popular topics right now are recession proofing your meeting and running a green event. Companies continue to tighten their budgets and cost-cutting measures control which meetings they can attend.  Simply charging less may not be enough.  Running a green or sustainable event means eliminating waste, making tough choices in venues, and selecting food and beverage options that are better for the environment and the surrounding community.

Traditionally the two goals sit in opposition to one another.  This two-part article will discuss the new creativity and technology being used to establish green events that are profitable.

We’ve only recently come to understand these ideas overlap to provide a dual benefit.  For example, we like a process that allows an attendee to “bookmark” a booth, speaker or person they meet.  Before, during and after the event, all of this information is available on line.   The speaker, vendor or event manager can see which attendees reviewed the brochures, website and speaker materials.

When the physical event is over, the online version helps people connect, review and share information.  By using the Internet, more people are exposed to the event which helps it evolve and grow.  Eliminating brochures, handouts, presentation materials and surveys is the best way to green your event and in doing so you actually improve the event.  Imagine the number of steps a brochure travels from tree to paper to printer to event to hotel room trash can to landfill…never once letting someone know a qualified person is reading it. Identifying those more interested and qualified attendees is the true value of their efforts.

In the current state of technology, we’re halfway between traditional and electronic.  While it’s still easier to grab a colorful pamphlet off of a table, a growing percentage of us carry a phone with an Internet connection and color camera.  Technology can show us what we want when we want it.  The shift from sorting through a stack of papers in a filing cabinet versus Google-ing any document at any time on a number of devices will continue to become more of a reality.

While these ideas sound very green, the primary goal is to provide more qualified leads and data analysis to establish a proper value for the investment in booth space and sponsorship programs.  Knowing what was popular or not, and feeding this information back into the event creates a more profitable and better experience for attendees and stakeholders.

Recession proofing isn’t just about how to lower costs or trim the features out of an event to make it affordable.  If we measure why people participate in an event and use this information to produce a better event, then we have an opportunity for future success.  In any economy people decide to attend an event based on a combination of the following:

• Opportunities to leverage a personal network and grow a professional network – looking for new business, a new job and new ideas.
• Which subject matter experts are speaking and on what topics?
• Continuing education that cannot be found in their local city.
• Researching new products and services on the show floor.
• A general feeling of being inspired and invigorated for another year of success.

An event that offers this combination can create something not found anywhere else.  Content is still king and measuring the popularity of what people found to be the best goes well beyond a paper survey.

From audience response devices to kiosks to text messaging, there are many ways to survey that are faster, greener, and more successful.  Instead of a post-mortem after the event, gather information in real-time and tweak the event while it’s in progress.  Give attendees a voice during the event for an engaged and attentive audience.  Electronically poll a group at the beginning of a breakout session on topics they would prefer and then use the same method to survey what they thought at the conclusion of each session.

Not to ignore the discussion of trimming costs as part of the recession proofing process, Part 2 looks at the hard costs that go into running an event.  In the meantime, review your event expenses and ask, “How many truly add value?”  So much of the traditional process can be reduced and even eliminated. In part two we will discuss how to modernize the event process while trimming costs.