Choosing a speaker: don't pull a "James Franco"

Did you see the Oscars Sunday night?

There is pretty universal agreement that James Franco was a about as bad a co-host as you could expect to see -- completely lacking in energy; bereft of wit; just all around bad. Even the phenomenal Anne Hathaway -- who was obviously doing everything she could to compensate for his inadequacies -- was dragged down by his poor performance.

For those of us who plan events, is there a lesson to be learned from this?

Yes. This problem almost certainly have been avoided and the fact that it was not was almost certainly the fault of the event organizers.

RULE -- Do not choose speakers you have not seen or for whom you do not have strong, public speaking-oriented references. James Franco is a remarkable actor, but this is radically different from being a fast-on-your-feet host of a live event. My guess is that he was chosen based on an assumption that his acting ability would translate into public speaking/hosting ability.

Bad idea.

Event organizers do this kind of thing ALL THE TIME. They see someone who is articulate and well spoken and assume she will be a great addition to the program. Sometimes this works. Often, it does not.

Choose your speakers carefully. Make sure that their experience and references are appropriate to your need. Base you decisions on assumptions at your own risk.

Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.
seanspence@earthlink.net
573-823-1308

Details can add up to a special experience

Last night I attended one of the most entertaining parties I've been to in years -- the annual Mardi Gras Party thrown by friends Sarah Catlin-Dupuy and John Dupuy.

This year, they absolutely went all out. It started with the "Roaring 20's Speakeasy" theme that included a request to show up in costume (requested, not mandatory); it included a full casino, with several professionally dealt blackjack tables, roulette, and craps. Music was provided by a six-piece swing band.

All of that really was exceptionally cool and contributed mightily to a wonderful night, but they did a few things that did not cost a great deal, things which any of us could do, that added just the right touch.

Here are a few:

- a menu of mixed drinks that fit the occasion -- Hurricanes, The Bees Knees, The White Lady, and others

- plastic cigars and imitation cigarette holders that were just kind of cute and fun

- they provided all guests with a password that had to be given to the doorman to get into the party (straight out of "The Untouchables)

- the food -- jambalaya, crab cakes and boiled shrimp -- fit the theme and could fit most party budgets

The key -- whether talking about the expensive or inexpensive aspects of the party -- was that the party planners took the time to think about details that could be fun and memorable.

10 things to remember about event photos

1. If you are running the event, find someone else to take the pictures – you’ll always think you have more time for this kind of thing than you really do.

2. Crowd shots have limited value. You need a few, but people like to see faces.

3. Bring extra batteries, or film, or memory cards, or whatever it is you’ll need to keep the camera running.

4. The secret to taking great picture is taking lots of pictures.

5. Take lots of pictures of any kids who are present. They always make people feel good.

6. Don’t use pictures you would not want taken of you

7. Get people’s names.

8. Make a list of shots and/or people you know you want and then remember to take them.

9. Get action shots to go with the poses.

10. Share your photos – or why bother taking them? Put them on your Web site; share them over Facebook; send them to the local newspaper; and share them with your attendees.

Start by making a timeline

One of the first things I do when I start planning an event is create a quick timeline of key things that needs to happen to make the event successful -- starting with the day of the event and working my way backward.

Once that's done, everything else pretty much falls into place.

Here's an example of a preliminary timeline for an awards event:

Tuesday, May 18 Send a “save the date” notice

Tuesday, August 24 Launch Web site and Face book event page

Start accepting nominations

Tuesday, September 21 Deadline for nominations

Wednesday, September 22 Notify nominees

Tuesday, September 28 Send invitations

Tuesday, October 5 Final selections

Tuesday, October 26 Event?

This provided a foundation from which everything else could be created and discussed. As the event approached, we created a plan that included all of the necessary details -- budget, descriptions, assignments for event staff, etc. -- as well as a detailed budget.

A successful event provides multiple rewards

Reprinted from Columbia Business Times, 11/26/2010

By Sean Spence
Nov 26, 2010

When business owners list the tactics in their marketing arsenals, too few include event marketing.

Event marketing is a powerful tool, whether the businesses create their own events or participate in events hosted by others. Events provide a unique combination of advantages. They facilitate meaningful interactions with customers, prospects and referral sources; they can brand hosts as experts or market leaders; and they offer a chance to create community buzz.

Events also provide a mechanism for multiple businesses to pool resources and create something bigger than they would be willing to finance on their own.

An example of a successful cooperative event was the Healthy Families Fun Fair, hosted earlier this year by Nasopure and D&H Drugstore at the Stoney Creek Inn. The Fun Fair provided an interactive marketing tool for everyone involved; it made sales, generated leads, created relationships and built brand recognition. Even better, it was relatively easy on the marketing budgets because sponsors and other business participants pooled their money.

On a smaller scale, The Bank of Missouri is a great practitioner of event marketing. The bank executives are big believers in creating both personal relationships and a relationship with the community, and they regularly host small luncheons and larger receptions that bring people to their lobby in the Buttonwood Building. They find that as people get to know them better, they will be more likely to want to work with them. The latest Bank of Missouri reception welcomed Michael Brown, the new executive director of the Columbia Board of Realtors.

Certainly, every business is going to have different event marketing needs. Rather than try to use this article to convey “everything you need to know about event marketing,” let’s focus on a handful of questions and answers that establish a foundation for success.

What are our goals? Having a big party just for fun can be great, but it won’t pay the bills. You might want to generate quality leads; you might want to make sales; you might want to build relationships with key referral sources; or you might want to make a splash in the media. Think carefully about what you want to accomplish, write it down, and use that to guide your choices.

Who is our audience? Get as detailed as you can about this by starting with demographics and working your way to specific names, if possible. This will be the biggest factor in determining how you will communicate about your event.

What will make people want to attend our event? This could include such things as the promise of a few fun hours, the opportunity to learn something or the chance to hear an entertaining speaker. Build a reputation for creating worthwhile events, and you’ll find it much easier to attract your audience.

How are we going to communicate with our intended audience? For this question, refer back to the definition of your audience. Maybe you know exactly whom you want to invite and can do it with some combination of mailed and electronic invitations. Maybe you’ll need to employ some combination of mass media.

How will we use this event to create and deepen relationships? For every step of the process, you have an opportunity to increase your relationships with people: as you invite them to the event, when they attend and after they’ve returned home. Think about how you can use personalized communications, event activities and other mechanisms to create stronger connections with your audience.

How much money do we want to spend? When you are doing an event, it’s easy to let the budget get away from you. Think about every dime as you spend it, and you’ll feel much better about your efforts.

How are we going to evaluate our success? Look back at the goals you set for yourself, and honestly evaluate every aspect of your event. Make your evaluation numerical wherever possible. Events will often leave you feeling good when they are over; your ability to think objectively will make all the difference.

Ask yourself these questions, make sure you answer honestly and thoroughly, and you’ll be on your way to being a successful event marketer. v

Sean Spence, a regular contributor to CBT, owns Community Events and can be reached at seanspence@earthlink.net and www.commevents.com.

Sometimes imperfection can be kinda cool

Most of the time, when we are planning events, we spend a lot of time figuring out how to make everything perfect. Sometimes, though, the imperfections are what make an event memorable. Here's an example from an event Community Events is involved in called "Military Morning." One of our attendees, an 80+ year old World War II veteran, suggested that we should end the event with a rousing verse of "God Bless America" with him in the lead. I'd never heard him sing and had no idea how it would turn out. He certainly was not a professional and was not likely to meet the kind of standards I preferred for event entertainment. But that wasn't really the point, was it?

Have a listen...

Curtailing long speeches -- Stand up if you want someone to sit down

This may be the most important lesson you will ever learn about doing an event in which someone is addressing an audience -- getting them to stop talking.

Really, it is pretty simple, and is mostly about prep. You'll want to ask speakers to monitor their own time, but tell them that you (or someone) will be positioned directly in their line of sight and will stand, facing them, when it is time to wrap up immediately.

Provide this in writing, when you send them confirmation of the speaking engagement.

Include it in the reminder e-mail you send a few days before the event.

Make sure it is visible on the "insiders" agenda you hand them when they arrive at the event.

Remind them about this a few minutes before they go on stage.

Then do it.

Overkill? Not really. Some of the biggest complaints come when speakers go on too long. The worst case I have ever seen came with a panel discussion. When a television journalist had her turn, she literally went on for 20 minutes to answer the first question, half of the time allotted for the entire program. Obviously, no one had prepared for the (significant) possibility that a panelist would exceed her time. And what happens when we don't prepare?

One final thing to remember is to do this no matter what. A fairly curious phenomenon I have discovered is that when people say something such as, "Oh, I've never gone over time in my life, you absolutely will not have to stand up to get me to sit down," these are invariably the people who are the biggest problems. Every single time.

Stand up. That will be enough to get most people to sit down.