Posts Tagged ‘events’
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
What I like best about Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI’s) bi-monthly economic report: the findings are based on the latest data. And so far, no surprises: 39% say attendance is bigger than last year. That’s significant — only 10% saw an uptick last April. The interesting news: that increased attendance will not result in higher budgets. Buyers are only going to pay for what they gotta have.
What else to watch out for: short lead times for more meetings. Negotiations will continue to run rampant in 2011 and possibly beyond. My recommendation: get your fee strategy that you can live with in place now.
Tags: budgets, events, experts, Marketing, meetings, positioning, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, branding, strategy | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
What do buyers look at first when you submit an RFP (request for proposal) to speak at their conference? The topic. It doesn’t matter if you are the Pope, if your topic doesn’t fit their agenda your proposal goes into the round file. Immediately.
Yes, this is basic and yet too many speakers don’t make the cut for this reason. My theory: we are blinded by what we offer instead of approaching the conference from a blank slate. The former approach assumes a fit and spins accordingly; the result is a topic buyers roll their eyes at. The latter doesn’t assume a good fit and compares the criteria in the RFP with other hot trends. Combining the two.
Yes, I have more thoughts on this subject. Click here to see my latest video rant. Want more? No problem: the next Extreme Mini Makeover call on Tuesday will explore how to turn your brilliance into a topic that gets picked every time. Click here to get more info and to register for the series.
Tags: events, experts, Marketing, meetings, positioning, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, strategy | No Comments »
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
When I mention “let’s do a social experiment,” my friends and family head for the hills. So this time I did one on myself. After ranting about all the pitching at an industry conference, I decided to do something about it: stop pitching myself. I figured, “Hey, I can’t gripe when I talk about my services.”
Instead of boycotting the conference, I boycotted the selling. Instead of charging for my time, I gave away five 30-minute sessions for free. (With no pitching afterward.) Two things happened: first, the gratitude from participants warmed my heart. Almost every one of them said, “This is brilliant. What can I do for you?” It never occurred to me that folks would want to return the favor so quickly. There’s a different reaction to when you give fully and walk away, versus giving fully with a pitch. My theory: it’s hard to fully appreciate what you’ve been given when you dread the pitch that’s coming next.
Second, I learned that when you give fully, the word spreads. Fast. I was approached by more people interested in my work than the last four conferences combined. Why? Don’t know. But I think it had something to do with what I gave on the first day.
Tags: branding, consultants, conversations, events, Marketing, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Last week I explored major changes ahead for the incentive industry. Here’s another study to back that up: The Incentive Research Foundation’s newest Pulse Survey. Key finding: although positive vibes are on the rise, the budgets aren’t. Reason: buyers still feel stung by the “extravagant” label. Therefore, this will continue to be bad news for any speaker in the general motivation market (i.e., the sports figures, those with compelling stories) who don’t have a heavy dose of substance.
Another thing to watch out for: this study reports that almost half of the respondents believe their involvement in incentives will decline as more procurement departments take over. Prediction: buyers for agenda and speakers will move up the food chain. No one wants to be blamed for a low-fee speaker who bombed.
Tags: events, incentive meetings, meetings, positioning, speakers, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Another casualty of the economy: traditional incentive meetings. Industry insiders agree that a new model is morphing for these multi-day junkets. Now it’s a smaller party with a bigger purpose. And that’s good news for experts.
Three ways we can take advantage of the new trends:
- Instead of pure entertainment, a business portion is being added to the agenda. Most popular here: getting feedback from top performers. Facilitators, this is a perfect fit for you.
- I predicted this for years, and this trend is going strong: training is now an important part of the meeting agenda. More opportunities to interact with Corporate America is a good thing. Yes, speakers and trainers are a natural fit for skill-building. Consultants can get in on this act, too.
- And, finally, charitable activities are on the rise. This is a great area for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) experts — especially those with relationships in Sales and Marketing.
Tags: education, events, experts, Marketing, meetings, Speaking, strategy, trends, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
Knew it had to happen sometime. And that time is now. Virtual meetings are back and in a big way. On the association front, they are used as an additional revenue stream and to leverage the experience. A great way to subsidize events with lower attendance. Creates a platform to connect and is perfectly understandable.
The corporate market could go one step further to cut costs: replace virtual meetings for digital events. Big companies have the bandwidth to invest in the start ups. Exhibit A: Cisco, who ditched their big traditional face-to-face meeting and went all virtual. Reaction among attendees: best meeting ever.
Moral of the story: if they can get away with it, big companies will switch to virtual in a heartbeat. Experts need to be prepared to participate with fee strategies and with ideas to create a seamless experience for those watching from a computer screen. Might be a good time to hire some kid with high-tech skills…
Tags: events, Marketing, meetings, positioning, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Yes they are, according to a recent survey by PCMA (Professional Conference Management Association), their foundation and AmEx. Over 500 meeting planners were asked about plans for 2010 and 2011 this Spring and here’s what they said:
- A net increase in off-site meetings of 23 percent in 2010 and 38 percent in 2011 when compared to 2009 numbers.
- Cancellations have subsided: 89 percent stated they were not planning to postpone, cancel or rebook any meetings they had already booked in 2010 and 2011.
Industry insiders are reporting an uptick in attendance, some more than 12 percent in the association market. That’s good news for experts speaking at these events. More attendees mean more sponsorship deals, more prospects for those free experts and hopefully, less stress about paying speakers. Not breaking out the Champagne just yet, but hey, this news is better than what we’ve heard before. Let’s do a happy dance and get back to work.
Tags: associations, events, experts, Marketing, meetings, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
What’s it worth to avoid negative publicity? Plenty according to Corporate America. A recent study from Association of Corporate Travel Executives reports that sixty percent of decision makers surveyed said they would avoid a perceived resort location for a corporate event in favor of a less opulent setting — even if rates were better in the resort city — to avoid negative perceptions (from media, Congress, employees who couldn’t go, etc.).
My take: avoiding witch hunts are expensive and worth every penny. Buyers believe that it’s better to pay more and be safe than to explain yourself to a hostile crowd. This is good news for experts in second-tier cities who want speaking engagements without the plane ride. Check your local convention and visitor bureau calendars. You’ll be surprised who’s meeting in your city.
Tags: events, experts, meetings, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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