Exhibition World Supplements EW/EN Germany Supplement 2016 | Page 9

Cvent talks German efficiency

It is estimated that , on average , a business will spend around a quarter of its annual marketing spend on events . Yet , are you doing enough to measure return on investment ? David Chalmers , marketing director Europe at Cvent gives some pointers on German style efficiency
This will minimise visitors , delegates and buyers ’ travel time and therefore increase the probability of their attendance te ance
. Remember mber the visitor is the most important person , the right visitors will ensure the exhibitors and sponsors follow .
BOOK EARLY : German venues are in high demand due to their well-connected infrastructure ructure , inexpensive public transport and central European location . By planning ahead you can secure the best venue for your target audience .
DEFINE YOUR OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED OUTCOMES Make sure senior management define clear objectives for the event and what they hope to achieve afterwards . Whatever the reason , clarity is vital at the onset . Try not to merge too many busines ess wish-lists into one event .
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE We may think we understand the min
ind-set of the people we want to come along , but don ’ t presume . Engage with your audience before you create the event . Do your research via traditional research methods or by social media tools such as Facebook ok and Twitter . Find out what your audience really want from an event . What format elicits the best reaction ?
TURN ‘ NO ’ S INTO AN OPPORTUNITY Even if invitees cannot make your event , it is very important find out why . Perhaps it ’ s the cost , location or speaker . You could look at whether they want to have more information on your product and service . It ’ s a perfect opportunity to create new business leads even at this juncture . Make sure the registration system is integrated with the company ’ s CMS system . By doing so you will be able to start collate information about customers and prospects .
SPREAD THE WORD ( PROPERLY ) With time and money invested into the event you ’ ll want to make sure you get as many people of the right demographic coming along in order to get the maximum return out of your investment . Make sure the invitation is something which can be easily forwarded on to relevant contacts via email and or social media and send reminders .
ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT – MANPOWER UP Make sure you have enough people attending from your company so that they can facilitate lots of interaction on the day ; it ’ s essential that the home team captures as many business opportunities as possible . You may want to set up a system where people can book appointments to meet specific people or , if appropriate , experts or key speakers at the event
POST EVENT - MONETISE Follow up , follow up , follow up ! The feedback form is an essential starting point , but make sure your delegates fill it in- consider getting real time feedback by sending a feedback form via mobile devices .
EW / EN 2016 Germany , The UK Organiser ’ s User Guide 9