How do you know if your event is meeting the needs of your attendees? How do you know their satisfaction level while at the event? For the most part, this data is sorely lacking, leaving planners guessing at their strategy for next year’s big event.
Mindtouch came up with a curation analytics equation diagram aimed at document, website, and SEO reviews. The diagram below, simply explains the concept. However, much of this concept can also be overlaid in the event meeting services industry (I will share with you how this can come to be). First, the diagram:
User Ratings of Your Meeting
How are you gathering attendee satisfaction at and after the meeting? You can gather feedback:
- while the presenter is speaking
- immediately following the meeting
- after the event
There are several ways to do gather the feedback:
- Rent Tablet PCs or iPads and set up a Twitter hashtag or group to allow the presenter to see real-time comments and questions about the topic.
- Distribute wireless audience response system rentals immediately following the meeting to gather attendee satisfaction and ratings.
- Create an online community to allow attendees to continue the conversation about a breakout session or the meeting as a whole.
Analytics
Hopefully by now you are using some sort of Analytics tool, such as Google Analytics, to determine website and blog traffic. It is important to understand what pages your attendees and potential attendees are visiting and what methods brought them to those pages. In addition, if you use a tool such at Hootsuite to manage your social media buzz, there are analytics integrated within this tool to track trends.
Meeting Planner = Curator
Merriam-Webster Dictionary‘s definition of a curator is "One who has the care or superintendence of something. Especially someone in charge of a place or exhibit."
We don’t often think of ourselves as a curator, but that in essence is what we are. We are caring for our attendees, partners, and sponsors. We are directing our staff and suppliers. And most importantly, we are in charge of the entire meeting, trade show, or training seminar.
However, these three things TOGETHER equal the weight of Your Event’s Content.
Event Content
In the old days, we used the following way to address content:
- Call up our speakers or put a "Call to Action" on the Website
- Select the ones who were either free or fit our event audience
- Asked them for their topics
- Selected the topics
- Printed the brochure and
- Prayed for attendance
That way is no longer acceptable. The attendees want to drive the content, select the topics, and many times the speakers too. The more involved they are in content, the happier the attendees will be, and the more likely they will attend the event. How can you do that?
- Crowdsource your agenda through an online community. Giving attendees a voice and a vote is very powerful. This method should bring forth fresh ideas, more dialog, and make the attendee feel like they are being heard.
- Make the attendees the experts. Adrian Segar, CEO of Segar Consulting, has written a book called "Conference that Work." His premise is that the attendees are the experts and can sign up for the topic or topics they are versed in and present them with no prep time required.
- Make sure the content has SUCCESs written all over it. Engaging the audience with the content is important as well.
AV Event Solutions, a California meeting rental equipment company, can assist you in making your next sales meeting, convention, or corporate function a great success. Give them a call today!
