FUNTASTIC Event Planner: A Back-to-Basics Checklist
Some chamber leaders are reporting lower-than-expected event revenue this summer. Sponsorships are predictable, but registration revenue and attendance seem less certain. This might be a good time to return to basics when planning and delivering quality events. Use the mnemonic FUNTASTIC to help make your next event a success.
FUNTASTIC events boost attendance, revenue and goodwill.
This checklist helps.
F: Format and Fun
Choose the Right Format: Decide between in-person, online, or hybrid formats based on your audience’s preferences and the specific goals of your event. As an example of a blended format, the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber introduced unique participant options for their Business Excellence Awards. In addition to the grand ballroom experience with hundreds of guests, a separate, lower-priced ticket was purchased by about a hundred guests who received food and drink at a local craft brewery. Live streamed cut-ins occurred between the brewery and banquet hall where the awards took place. Some award winners chose the brewery, others the ballroom. Two different, yet both high quality experiences created for the same event. As a third option, guests could also experience the event streamed to their home.
Ensure It's Engaging: Incorporate fun elements such as interactive activities, live entertainment, or games to keep the atmosphere lively and engaging. Rent an air hockey table, cornhole apparatus or oversized team Jenga to add fun. Adding polls, trivia or other elements keep attention when meetings are online.
U: Understanding Audience and Host Role
Understand Your Audience: Tailor the event details to match the specific interests and needs of your audience, including choosing the right venue and activities. Poll your members regularly for topics, explore pain points and position your event as solution-focussed. Ask when/where and why they might prefer online to in-person meetings.
Understand Importance of Hosting: Create a sense of occasion. Ensure all staff members are easily identifiable with team apparel and/or nametags to welcome guests and facilitate attendee interaction. Help attendees feel that they belong. Podium mentions of how special the event is and attendees are, how much you’ve been looking forward to the event and the absolute delight that awaits registrants, is all part of being a good host.
N: Necessity and Novelty
Assess Necessity: Chamber leaders learned a lot during COVID. Determine if each event is necessary at all. Would an email/video or publication be a better format for the outcome you want or message you want to convey? Ensure each event offers unique value compared to previous events or other offerings.
Introduce Novelty: Incorporate unique venues or themes that cater to your audience's interests and break the monotony of traditional settings. Venues such as wineries, retirement homes, car dealerships, bike shops, outdoor adventure stores add fun elements to your event. Colour themes (attendees encouraged to wear Black and White / Red), international country themes (Paris Olympics) or seasonal themes are always popular.
T: Thirst for Knowledge
Educational Value: Provide compelling content that quenches attendees' thirst for knowledge, including expert speakers, panels, or workshops. In pre-meeting promotion, describe what questions will be addressed and problems solved at the meeting. Profile notable members and guests that will be in attendance.
Interactive Elements: Use quizzes, polls, and interactive discussions to make learning engaging and memorable. Slido and Mentimeter are two applications that can encourage engagement among attendees.
A: Accessibility and Authority
Ensure Accessibility: Make sure the event is accessible to all, including good acoustics, clear signage, and options for remote participation if necessary. Recently I was asked to provide slides for distribution in advance of my presentation. In the spirit of inclusion, some speakers are providing short slide summaries in advance of meetings to accommodate additional processing time for those that are neuro-diverse.
Establish Authority: Highlight the credentials of speakers or special guests to enhance the event's credibility and draw in a larger crowd. Pre-meeting teaser videos featuring speakers, topics to be addressed and questions that will be considered, are becoming the norm.
S: Simplicity and Special Touches
Streamline Registration: Simplify the registration process to minimize barriers to entry and encourage higher participation. Nothing is more frustrating than broken links, pay-wall restrictions or just too many clicks. Test your registration systems before making live.
Incorporate Special Touches: Include thoughtful details like custom drinks, themed snacks, or takeaway gifts that make the event memorable. Renting a photo booth or featuring a sponsored photographer to take professional headshots is always fun.
T: Timing and Tips (Etiquette)
Optimal Timing: This really has to be thought through and tested. Post-COVID priorities have changed. As boomers retire, the expectations of the X, Y and Z generations with respect to beginning and end of day are different. Schedule the event at a time that maximizes convenience and attendance, considering factors like commuting times, flexible work schedules (some offices have adopted no meeting Mondays as a wellness measure), day-care, elder-care, doggy-care and other commitments. Have you ever considered a chamber event that encourages pets? A pet walk? “Business After Bark”? Or perhaps once in a while encouraging a ‘Bring your kid to BA5’?
Experience Etiquette: Which fork to I use? Ahh…the mysteries of dinner settings. Is this one my bread plate? Lower guest anxiety and encourage more people to attend confidently by providing tips and expectations. Consider having a night that specifically features dinner and business etiquette. Explore variations in etiquette among different cultures. Offer food and beverages (including sampling techniques for specialty wine or spirits) that resonate with the theme of the event, enhancing the overall experience. For some events a code of conduct might also need to be communicated in advance (golf tournaments/club rules).
I: Illumination and Interaction
Effective Illumination: Use lighting creatively to enhance the mood and focus attention where needed, whether for presentations, dining, or networking areas. Candles, natural sunlight, spotlights, strobes – there are many options. And as always, make sure you have extension cords and power bars in your event kit and a back-up plan in case of power-failures.
Foster Interaction: Design the layout and activities to encourage interaction among attendees, facilitating networking and connections. For example, participant bingo or point-based and timed scavenger hunt where your guests discover and uncover the hidden attributes of other guests. For example, checking off boxes for guests with traits such as, “Has Never Seen a Harry Potter Movie” / “Has Run a Marathon” / “Prefers White Chocolate”
C: Communication and Closure
Clear Communication: Communicate essential details such as the event schedule, instructions to access platform (Zoom/Teams/HopIn etc.) clearly before the event and how to use engagement features (raising hand/chat) during the event.
Effective Closure: Provide a clear end to the event with closing remarks or activity that leaves attendees with a positive impression and reinforces the event's key messages. Use the opportunity to encourage guests to calendarize and register for upcoming events.
I hope you found this Back-to-Basics event checklist to be of help. Be sure to use this guide to create FUNTASTIC events that meet the evolving expectations of your audience.
