MAL 24/18 MAL-24:18 | Page 80

MARKETING INFORMATION
MARKETING INFORMATION

Developing The Medium & Small Scale Events

By Isaac T . Ngatia

On the eve of 26th March 2018 , I was invited for a session on Rwanda . The meeting , according to the invite was at the consulate offices . In my mind , I envisaged a meeting in the boardroom or similar venue . However , the set up was like any other business meeting , with presentations , clear audio and refreshments . The interesting part is that all this took place outdoors but within the compound of the consulate .

That ’ s when I wondered , how does this subsector work within the events economy ? How does one go about developing and executing such niche events in the face of increasing competition ? Are the small compounds within the urban areas viable for hosting quality events ? Must a given group of stakeholders always drive out of town for an out of office event / experience ?
The UAE , and especially Dubai , has long played host to various global events . Kenya is also trying to market itself as an events destination in Africa , amidst competition from countries such as Ethiopia , South Africa , and Rwanda among others .
This article looks at the small and medium size events that may not hit the limelight , but play a crucial role in marketing . Discussions with players within this subcategory also help to bring to light the challenges they face amid stiff competition and high expectations from their clients .
Discussion with Bridge Events based in

How do you measure ROI for a round the table event ? To address this , it is important to look at all the possible outcomes – immediate ( during the event ), in the short term , the medium-term impact , direct returns , as well as potential leads and referrals generated from such events . If well executed , these events have a higher ROI per capital compared to the large-scale events . The level of engagement is based on immediate needs , with faster access to information and indepth engagement .

Dubai on one hand , and Jordan Gardens in Nairobi on the other brought the issue to light . The similarities and contrasts showed how players in this space have to navigate .
Bridge Events is an events management company with a skew towards corporate , round-tables as well as customized products . On other hand , Jordan Gardens , based along Karen south road in Nairobi is an events venue . It hosts various events from social ones such as wedding to corporate training and seminars . These are just two examples of players in the small and medium scale events but the sub-sector plays a significant role in developing the events industry .
The events sector has grown over time with tremendous development in both quality and quantity of events . The large scale global events are ones usually on the limelight . However , the small and medium scale events play a crucial role . These events create the foundation and building blocks for the large scale global events . They are the testing ground for scaling to large scale events . The base in these foundations have an impact in the larger events , especially in quality , executions , logistics , security among other factors .
What are the driving factors in developing the small and medium size events ?
Relationship
In developing the marketing plan for such a
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