Simplifying meetings and events execution The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Social Media Leonora Valvo Chief Executive Officer
Oct 19, 2014
Simplifying meetings and events execution
The Good, The Bad and The Uglyof Social Media
Leonora ValvoChief Executive Officer
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Who’s Using Social Media?
a) Personallyb) Professionallyc) For Event Marketing
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Views from the Field
The Good: • Majority of people using Twitter, Facebook and putting out dates/updates on LinkedIn
The Bad: • Few organizations are using social media consistently pre, during and post event largely only used right before and during
The Ugly:• Organizations haven’t connected in social media and the event into the greater strategic goals of the organization
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Who Wrote Down a Comprehensive Strategy for Using Social to Market their
Event?
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Views from the Field
The Good: • Most planners are adding tasks to their project plans and know that social media is important.
The Bad: • Few organizations have planners that have received education on using social media so have to rely on other departments.• Organizations have one department doing social media and another doing events-> no cohesive plan
The Ugly:• Organizations have no idea how to measure or evaluate socialmedia to see if it was a good spend.
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Which Stakeholders Did You Include in Your Social Media
Plan?
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Views from the Field
The Good: • More departments are aware that social media is not just for the IT or communications department.
The Bad: • Few organizations have cross-functional social media or social marketing teams.
The Ugly:• Events are still not seen as an integral part of an organization’s market strategy
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Who Included Social as Part of their Exhibitor and Sponsor Packages?
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Views from the FieldThe Good: • Most events provide a Twitter hashtag to which all types of attendees can contribute.• Most events have an event website to showcase logos of sponsors and exhibitors.
The Bad: • Few events have added social media into their exhibitor and sponsorship packages
The Ugly:• Innovation is lacking and few organizations are leading the way in putting together compelling packages that showcase content and people->the purpose of social
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Even More Ugly
The Ugly:• Organizations focus on social tools and not putting people together for a purpose
• Truth is that the tools are out there and easy to do, but people don’t know
•Good software should be flexible enough to put in any kind of social that you need in order to push out messages and promote
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Viewpoints of Social Media
• We’re not asking the right questions
• Social media is thought of as the new must have, but no one is truly using it effectively
• We know that if social media is used correctly, it increases the need for face to face events
• Organizations need to utilize social to provide greater visibility on behalf of exhibitors and attendees
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Top Questions No One is Asking
1) Which social media outlets (if any) are your attendees, exhibitors and sponsor now using?
2) What are you trying to accomplish in using social media?
3) How are you allocating resources towards ensuring social media isworthwhile?
4) What’s the benefit you are providing to attendees, exhibitors and sponsors in using social media?
5) Are you using social media to better collaborate withinthe organizationto improve the event?
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Top Questions No One is Asking
6) What are you going to do with the responses and feedback if people actually use social media pre/during/post event?
7) Are you using social media to drive people to a specific place? Session? Booth? Purpose? If so, can you define the value, the process and how you’ll measure the outcome for each.
8) Do you have the right mix of social media, web and face-to-face interaction to make the event a success?
9) Have you tied your event into the strategic goals of your organization?Or, are you using social media as a cover-up for skipping this step
10) Can you increase revenue with social media-infusedpackages?
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Bonus Key Question:
Are you creating an environment that
facilitates relationship building?
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Case Study: Gurus at Play
• Create demand for keynote speakers and allow attendees to compete for access to speaker
>Build demand for speaker pre-event
>Allow people to self-select into topics of interest during registration process
>Allow interaction with speaker through blogs, Twitter , Facebook, webinars,etc before and after the conference
>Set up roundtable discussions, etc for event and have a way to continue discussions following the event
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Innovation SessionThink: What Can We Do to Provide
Interaction?
• Attendee
• Exhibitor
• Sponsor
• Speaker
Simplifying meetings and events execution
Additional Resources
• “The Right Mix” Putting together an Event Marketing Plan Paper and Webinar Event: Tuesday, March 15th at 3 pm To register: www.etouches.com/mix
• “Social Sponsorships: Rethinking Sponsorships in the Age of SocialMedia” Webinar Event: Wednesday, March 16th at 4 pm
To register: www.etouches.com/socialsponsor
• Follow us: @etouches• LinkedIn and Facebook