Having planned and executed a number of their own events and attended their fair share of industry events, Melissa Connolly of Hofstra University and Chris Rosica of Rosica Public Relations share some advice for event success:
• Invite a core audience before you have a date set. Ask them when a good time is for the event and who they think would come.
• If it’s an awards press conference, make it a celebration with pre- and post-events.
• When you invite your audience to a speaking event, it’s never enough just to send out invitation. Unless Obama is coming, there’s follow-up to be done.
• At the event, don’t sit back—make sure you manage it. Be vocal when things aren’t going right.
• Have backup plans and use an event checklist so no stone is left unturned.
• Always have video and webcasting in mind when planning your event—it will keep your effort in the forefront for months.
• Even with the best of planning, events can sometimes fall flat, so be on the cutting edge with agendas and presentations.