How to plan the perfect event

We’ve been at a lot of events lately. Panels, roundtables, launches, drinks events – and it’s been refreshing. Face-to-face is obviously welcome now, even if train strikes, delays and general chaos are doing their best to kill the idea off.

So I thought it might be useful to share my view on what seems to be best practice – the best of all the events – and some lessons learned.

1/ Start early 

Eight weeks is your sweet spot for ideation and conception, enough time to plan properly without the whole thing dragging on. Decide on the number of attendees you need to make it a success and aim for double sign ups. That tends to be the attendee versus sign up ratio. Invites should be out six weeks in advance, latest.

Choose a clear theme early. Not a vague “future of X” placeholder. This should be something you can own and reinforces what you’ve been building in your marketing efforts. Your event should feel like a natural extension of your wider narrative, not a one-off. Think of your guest list like a nurture journey: who’s coming, why them, and what do you want them to leave thinking?

2/ Contingency planning 

This just isn’t optional anymore. If travel chaos hits:

• Send clear directions to circumnavigate the chaos
• Offer alternatives (Uber codes go a long way)
• Keep communicating – it might change

3/ On the day: the ideal format

This is where most events either land or fall flat. So here are a few tips to keep it tight and make sure it doesn’t drag:

• Start with coffee and breathing room
  Give people time to arrive, chat and settle. Caffeine helps for the event ahead.
• Open with something punchy
  A short video works well to set the tone, wake people up, and get them engaged.
• Humble and chatty intros
  If the C-suite is there, ensure their introductions are human, informal and brief.
• Bring in external voices
  Always add thought leaders, or independent experts – people who add credibility, have their own following, and aren’t biased.
• Customers are gold – have them speak for you
  A really great way to get customers involved is to have them interviewed, not presenting. It’s a nice, informal chance to hear about their journeys, and learn lessons. Peer-to-peer stories always land harder than brand messaging.
• Give people an extra “reason” to attend
  Launch a report, share new data, reveal something. Events need a hook.
• Leave space at the end
  Drinks are important and often where the real conversations happen. It’s also where you can organise your press interviews and one-to-ones if you’ve managed to secure journalist attendance.

4/ Don’t waste the content

You’ve got a room full of smart people saying useful things – this is content gold, so make sure you use it well beyond the day. Clip moments for social during the event, share highlights quickly after, and turn discussions into longer-form content. If your budget includes a photographer, your pictures will bring your brand to life.

And most importantly – follow up. The event should be the beginning of the conversation so your communications strategy should be to keep the conversation going while it’s still warm.

Planning an event and want a second opinion? Get in touch.