At every turn, we’re encouraged to set goals—about finances, health, family life, you name it. But when faced with goal-setting for our events, we often approach the task in reverse.
In my early days as a meeting planner, I was given the challenge of setting goals and creating themes for youth events. My approach was as follows:
1) Look for an eye-catching piece of clip art. (this was long before the days of Internet art searches.)
2) Brainstorm for a catchy phrase that would match the artwork and make a statement.
3) Write some goals that could be accomplished based on the theme of the event.
I’m confident that there are many planners who still follow the errant path outlined above. But the best practice is to begin with the goal-setting process. Goals will determine every other aspect of the event (i.e., who will attend, type of facility, room layout, needed equipment, etc.).
Setting goals doesn’t have to be a mystical or difficult process, but rather a simple task based on what needs to be achieved or accomplished. A great exercise for an event planner is to list desired outcomes for attendees and work toward the goals that can help achieve those results. It’s important to keep in mind that each meeting may have different goals. The goal of the annual convention may be conducting the business of the church, electing delegates, and approving budgets. A weekend retreat for women may hope to achieve fellowship or a book study. A meeting of church treasurers may need to review new accounting procedures and IRS guidelines.
Each meeting has merit and purpose, but can have radically different goals. Once those goals have been set, the following process can begin: theme development, selection of location, invitee/attendee list, room setup, AV equipment needs, etc. you get the idea. However, I still see misplaced events and mismatched equipment. Imagine conducting the church treasurers conference at a youth camp. Would it work? Maybe, but would a conference center with PowerPoint, wireless Internet, and a computer lab be more productive? And for those ladies doing a book study, an airport hotel might work, but it’s not the ideal location for this type of event.
Be creative in your goal-setting. Dream big when you theme your event. Rely on colleagues for advice and direction. After working through those processes, another vital step is to share your event goals with all the stakeholders involved.
Too many meeting planners have too many secrets. If our goal is to produce successful events, then sharing our goals is vital. Your staff, board members, attendees, suppliers, vendors, hoteliers, AV technicians, and caterers can all benefit from knowing what you intend and need to accomplish during your event.
So before you get too wrapped up in the New Year, schedule some time to review your upcoming events and their desired outcomes. Create a list of goals and work through the details of each event with those objectives in mind. you and your attendees will benefit from the process.
Be careful out there!