Over the past few years, marketing event planners have learned the hard way – to expect the unexpected, as Lilah Walker, international director of events, Marketing Options International finds out
In 2009 for example, we faced the most serious economic downturn in recent decades, resulting in our industry being hit hard with corporate budgets being slashed, redundancies in marketing teams and agencies closing their doors.
In 2010 – as marketers began to work smarter and maximise measurable ROI from their events – the industry was hit by one of the most unexpected natural phenomena – the Icelandic ash cloud. I’m certain that anyone running international events or domestic events with an international audience was affected in one way or another and had to think intelligently and swiftly in order to overcome the resulting on/off travel chaos. I clearly recall that at the time, the Marketing Options International team was scattered across the globe, with some stranded in the US unable to get back to the UK, others unable to get to the US and the rest road-tripping around Europe! However, the plus side of the ash cloud was that it taught us the value of thinking smartly and always having a contingency plan.
In 2011, we must all take the learnings from the past few years forward and apply them to an industry that’s bouncing back. For many, this year is again going to represent a struggle, although things are looking more positive as the industry starts to regain strength and continue its growth momentum, albeit in a more cautious and intelligent way than previously seen.
More than ever, maximising ROI and streamlining budgets will be key objectives for many marketers. To both the agency and corporate world, this will mean doing more with less as well as providing an increased level of justification for budget spend. It is those who can think creatively in terms of their budget and delivery, who will see the greatest benefits in 2011.
Bearing this in mind, this year will see an increase in hybrid events. Over the last two years there has been a burgeoning interest in the use of virtual events. This relatively new innovation has been trialled on an ad hoc basis by a number of key industry players, but there are few statistics / industry-wide analytics on their use and success. With increasing knowledge, understanding and confidence, virtual events will come much more to the fore and by the end of 2011 we’ll have some hard facts about the ROI that virtual events have brought across our industry. In our experience, those marketers who embrace virtual events strategically alongside their existing event programme to maximise their reach – without diluting the value of face-to-face marketing – will gain the greatest return in 2011.
Similarly, interest in social media within the event industry has increased over recent years, with 2010 representing a period of knowledge development. Marketers now have a much greater understanding of how social media can add significant value to their campaigns in terms of brand awareness, audience generation, community development and pure buzz. In 2011, attendee engagement and the development of 360 degree conversations between marketers, speakers and delegates will become much more widespread as more use social media at every stage in their campaign. Indeed, the use of social media to develop such conversations can be further widened by leveraging the networking enabled by smart phones and interactive networking devices.
Ultimately, there’s no substitute for face-to-face engagement. In 2011, and as we progress further into the digital age, we will see our industry further embrace digital technologies which will enhance the more traditional forms of marketing event. This will ensure that marketers gain maximum value out of their face-to-face events – further encouraging delegate engagement, facilitating 360 degree conversations and developing career-long communities equally empowered to provide feedback as receive content. This will enable us all to work smarter to achieve that all important ROI.
Remember however, as with the ash cloud, 2011 will bring us some unexpected challenges. It’s how we rise to and overcome them that will define our industry in 2011. Expect the unexpected!
Marketing Options International has over 25 years’ experience of planning arresting, engaging and memorable events for our clients. For more information about how we can help you, please call Lilah Walker, International Director of Events on +44 (0) 1932 233000 or email her at [email protected]
