October ISES Meeting: A Case for Corporate Events

Yesterday we attended the ISES monthly meeting at the Guthrie Theater. The meeting was set up in the Level 5 cafe space, which was a touch awkward but seemed to work for the number of people in attendance. Linen Effects did the decor and I have to say it was perfect. The blue napkins and the purple tablecloths in some kind of luscious fabric were the perfect complement to the theater building as a whole. The lunch left a bit to be desired, but the service was friendly and accommodating.

The keynote speaker was Richard Foulkes, director of special events and productions at Imagination, a leading communications agency, and president-elect of ISES UK. Imagination works with huge clients, such as Ford, and puts on unbelievable events and tradeshows around the world. Foulkes used this opportunity to talk about the importance of engaging your attendees and managing your reputation.

I thought what Foulkes had to say was interesting, but not anything this group hadn't heard before. He also filled his speech with quotes from philosophers and scientists when really I wanted to hear more about his thoughts and his experiences. I mean, this guy helps put on events that some planners probably only dream about. But, in the end I think he was motivating to the group. Find more specifics after the jump:

+ The challenge of the times is that clients are trying to decide what to spend their money on. Advertising? Events? I think what he was trying to say is that it's a planner's job to convince clients that events still matter to their bottom line - the event just has to be good.

+ He stresses the importance of maintaining and nurturing the clients you already have. Be there for them through hard times, and they'll be there for you in hard times. I think this is a valuable thing to remember no matter what business you're in.

+ "What gathers people together is the desire to interact. Engagement is key." However, interaction doesn't necessarily mean teambuilding or other group activities. You really have to know what your attendees will respond to.

+ Foulkes also talked about how something is said has more meaning than what is said. Your body language, your tone of voice, the surroundings, the food, etc., has more to do with what your attendees think and feel about your event than the actual content. Two ideas came out of this, 1.) The carpet, the room temperature, the uncomfortable chairs, the commute - all of that matters. It matters a lot. 2.) This is why face to face is so much more valuable than online channels. With online channels you don't get to see body language and hear tone of voice, which is a huge percentage of the meaning of the message. (For more on this idea, see our feature story in the fall issue.)

+ He talked about how all people learn their own way. I think this creates a huge challenge for planners. How are you supposed to know all the different ways people learn, and then in turn cater to each of those people with one event? It's something to think about, sure, but what a hard thing to do.

+ In the end you want your clients to align with you, to feel loyalty. So, he said, your reputation as a planner, as a vendor company, as anyone, needs to go beyond your brand. It needs to filter through all the channels of your organization - HR, PR, sales, and so on. If they feel good about you, they'll do business with you.

All in all, another good monthly meeting for ISES. Any other thoughts?

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Comments

[Richard Foulkes]

Thanks for the summary Amanda, if you want to chat further I'm easy to get hold of. I really enjoyed my trip to Minneapolis, thanks to ISES MSP for the invite and for making my experience memorable