Is this the end… for some?

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For the first time in a long time we have seen events struggle to exist and find their place in the market share. There is an event for everything these days…

Environment, food, organics, beauty, hair, makeup, health, natural therapies, cooking, books, music, videos/ movies, shoes, clothing… you name it, there is an event for it.

Whilst we have watched event saturation over the last 5 years, there was always going to be a point in the future where this would no longer be sustainable. Unfortunately events are more volatile than industries like property, retail and tourism. Why you ask?

Events do try, in particular music festivals, to reach the broader market. Whilst this is great for sponsors as well attaining more ticket sales, if every music festival is incorporating  a range of music as part of their schedule in the interest of broadening their demographic what gives the festival a point of difference? Why would people spend their money on your ticket over another?

It seems that the tough economic times over the last 24 months has taken its time to filter through to events. This year in the peak of summer festivals we have seen an unprecedented amount of festivals vying for our dollars.

* Big Day Out – SYD 2010 accidentally released ticket sales early – so they released a second show that sold out within half a day. When releasing a second show in 2011 in SYD, Big Day Out were offering ‘bring a friend’ deal for ticket holders.

* Good Vibrations in 2011 followed suit with the free ticket offer

* Woodford Folk Festival was given extra support by QLD Government to assist with budget shortfalls, and now must look to sell their property asset to assist in a sustainable future.

* Festivals asking for donations from the public to fulfill the event agreement.

Smaller events are also being affected – there are significant discounts being offered, events with less than half attendance figures, late event cancellations, amendments to inclusions for events.

Marketing events has never been harder, and whilst support to keep events alive is still strong people are having to be selective in the events they choose to attend. Corporations are also under more pressure than ever with hundreds of proposals crossing their desk for support each week. With so many fantastic brands to partner with, corporations must be selective in their support.

Unfortunately over the next year or two we will see some great events cease to continue, however, the results will provide better quality festivals across Australia.

Importance of a Good Guest Speaker

One of the most important elements of a successful event is the choice of guest speaker. Many events may have guests walk away feeling underwhelmed even though the speaker was very knowledgeable on the topic discussed.  Always do your research on the speakers you want to present at your event/ conference/ seminar/ workshop.

Ask for recommendations, seek references, search their name on the Internet. This will assist you in making a good choice for both your attendees and the speakers.

All professional speakers have their own way of presenting, but be sure to brief your speaker on the topic you require them to address and always have a ‘first question’ up your sleeve for the Q&A time. Attendees are generally reserved until the first question has been asked.

Key areas that can turn a successful event into a mediocre event:

* Poor grammar used by the guest speaker/s.

* Inability to use the technology to drive their presentation (for example. slide transition of the presentation, use of the slide clicker, microphone…).

* Deviating from the topic of discussion with out referring back to the topic/ question.

* Personal sales pitch by the speaker over emphasising on how good they are, unless directly relevant to the topic (for example. if the topic was motivation you would expect a tale of personal triumph).

* If the speaker is unable to read the crowd, make sure you can. Attendees will always remember the last speaker over all others, this is the ‘last taste’ of your event. If your speaker is weak, no matter how great your previous speakers were the will leave feeling under valued as a paying guest.

Here are some resources to advise how to choose the right public speaker:

http://www.1888articles.com/guidelines-to-hire-the-right-keynote-speaker-0103737.html

http://www.articlesbase.com/leadership-articles/how-to-choose-the-right-motivational-speaker-to-inspire-your-employees-4073108.html

http://fuces.com/self-improvement/tag/public-speaking/

 

If you are a professional speaker, these might interest you:

http://www.speaking-tips.com/

http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp