Your Role as an Event Manager MC 2 s perspective as an event production company by Rob Murphy, CMO, MC 2

Transcription

1 Extending Brands into experience Your Role as an Event Manager MC 2 s perspective as an event production company by Rob Murphy, CMO, MC 2 It is not unusual that associations fail to hire or plan for the internal management of their events. Event management has certainly matured as a career where expertise through prescribed course work is available through colleges and universities globally. Yet, from our perspective, we often see managers struggling and sometimes overwhelmed with the basic requirements of producing and managing an event. The good news is that YOU can set these standards and impress management by plotting this course. Set achievable goals in reasonable time frames, communicate these to your team and management BEFORE you begin and then go about checking them off. You will confirm your role as the one in charge, working your plan and delivering the promise. That, in so many words, spells success. Programs that succeed ultimately pave the way for your future growth and compensation. Our inspiration for this article comes from six key challenges event producers universally face in creating a seamless experience for their organization, their internal or external attendees and for their careers. We directly address your career because you are the responsible party, who is ultimately going to answer to management. As such, you need to begin your next event with a clear set of metrics by which your team, and your career can be measured.

2 #1 Provide leadership, motivation and direction As a vendor in the industry, we are often forced to look for the responsible party in our client s organizations. Sure, we like to take the helm and steer, but working as a team with clear client leadership ensures we are steering the ship toward the right destination. Your Mission On taking charge If you re not accustomed to being in the limelight you d better get used to it. The fact is, when you are responsible, everyone will be watching you and that is a good thing. As the responsible party, you set your agenda, you organize the team andyou set a chain of command. It s essential that your leadership be established and adhered to. On setting a course Different projects require different approaches. Make sure your course is appropriate for the task at hand. Don t over-produce nor under-produce. Consult with your co-workers and vendors and check their comfort level in getting to your mutual goals. On defining the projects goals Know where you want to end up then work backward from a final result to provide a reasonable set of targets to be hit along the way. It s always a good practice to start a project with an agreed upon set of results. For each result, establish a path to get you there. #2 Set, communicate and maintain timelines and priorities. All events are composed of a series decisions. When placed in order, they can provide a logical pathway to success. The biggest challenge in organizing these choices is establishing priorities and timeframes for execution, budgets and results. Your Plan On setting priorities Your budget will determine what priorities and options are available. Your event partners can help identify various options that will meet your budget parameters. Cut from the bottom up, keeping your most important priorities on top. On communicating Create a home base or hub for project activity by developing your own or using your vendor s online meeting space. Use this space for ALL communications to be posted, contained and commented on. Limit team access by role and responsibility because you may not want everyone commenting, editing and breaking the project s momentum. On advancing a timeline Once developed with vendors and internal staff, break the timeline into achievable, incremental milestones. Clearly identify roles and responsibilities.

3 #3 Develop and maintain stakeholder relationships. As the project unfolds, it s your job to keep all stakeholders in the loop. But how? Your internal clients can be from diverse divisions and varying levels of management scattered with disconnected goals and budgets. Many times, the event planner is simply out-ranked, yet responsible. Your Internal Position On setting the reporting rules Build an organizational chart and place yourself on top. It s okay if a senior manager is below you. This is your project and they need to understand the reporting structure. If it is touchy, consult with them. They will understand your need for establishing leadership. On using online tools to manage information Encourage all involved clients and vendors to commit to an online or internal digital record keeping system. As discussed earlier, lay down the law as to how information is shared and kept. It s up to you to enforce this but start early in the process and get your people trained. Dozens of random s and private discussions will only hinder your process. On getting internal buy in Can we move on? The worst situation any manager can have is to watch their project lose ground as the clock ticks. Demand adherence to the timelines to maintain order and buy-in as milestones are met. #4 Manage supplier relationships. Depending on how you wish to structure your involvement, you may find there are many moving parts and personalities to juggle in your weekly schedule. You may choose to have one general in your army and hire an event producer to oversee most activities. But there are still details you will find unavoidable. Your External Position On Bidding For a Clear Choice Create bid packages that are detailed and balanced so you can make a clear, informed choice. The more specific your requests, the more specific your vendors will be in their bids. On Knowing Your Account Team Know the skill sets of those supporting you and weave them accordingly into your organizational structure. If, for example, you have an external writer on your team, make them report to the internal clients needing their skill and monitor this relationship for efficient use of time and cost expenditures. You may choose to stand in between these functions, but that will be dictated by your available time. On Being Clear About Money When budgets have no room to move, be upfront and

4 clear about it. If changes to your program cause additional costs, all involved need to understand what is to be sacrificed. Be guided by your hierarchy of priorities. On Establishing Accountability Working with a vendor requires a relationship built on mutual respect. While ultimately vendors are accountable to you, sometimes you need to work with them to help them achieve project goals. Return calls and s and make decisions as soon as possible. Listen to their needs and know the difference between a challenge and an excuse. They only have you to keep them running towards the target. #5 Be on time, on budget and on point. You re thinking maybe in a perfect world, right? Think again. It is very achievable when the orchestra is following your baton. One of the biggest challenges to any business endeavor is communications. Often, the bigger the group, the bigger the challenge. Your job is to ensure everyone knows their goals and to make sure they work toward achieving them. Don t accept rough estimates of time or money without further clarification. Don t assume that one thing follows the other. Only accept commitments then document them! Your Goal On Detailing a Need Engineer and communicate project needs so all components are transparent. Many times needs are interwoven and interdependent. Make this clear by dissecting them into their components so all aboard can see that the event has many, many aspects to it. It s not just a PowerPoint presentation after lunch. It s copy, photography, music, a voice over, an interview, a trip to the factory, statistics from the finance department, a video you get the picture. On Accepting an Estimate Segregate estimates and hard quotes. Understand why an estimate may be necessary from your vendor as they may be missing detail. Ideally you need to work towards a hard quote. Try to avoid issuing a purchase order on anything but a written quote. On Being Responsible Being the responsible party, you will reap the consequences of a tight organization or a disorganized mess. When you are on the top of the org chart you can only blame yourself as others will. #6 Measure a clear path to success. (Fail to plan plan to fail.) As often happens, organizations set a goal that is clearly defined but loosely measured. The smartest move on your part is to set the measurement parameters. Start by asking yourself how should (not how will ) this event qualify as a success? Choose metrics that are realistic, attainable and measureable and within the scope of management s end results. Put your met-

5 rics on paper and run them up the management chain of command for approval to confirm all parties are in alignment. Your Success On Setting Realistic Goals It is simply unwise to jump into a situation over your head. Know you can deliver the whole project and choose your vendors well. The lowest bid sometimes reflects a similar end result. Keep checking status on all moving parts so no one part becomes a larger-than-life nightmare. At the same time make certain there is a sufficient WOW factor to make the whole effort impressive. On Getting Everyone Working for the Same Result Politics can be tricky. Work to uncover everyone s agendas and try to align them. Always seek the advice of superiors. This will make them aware of some of your challenges and they might possibly offer advice, help or even allow for more money for your budget. On Recording and Reporting Results You re building and controlling the metrics for the measurement of the event s success. Inform management of what will be measured early on in the project. Make these the centerpiece of your reporting. In other words, it s your game make the rules and you should come out on top. On Promoting the Project s Success You will be responsible for a striking success but make sure you acknowledge and thank all those who contributed. Make sure all know where they contributed into the grand scheme. Management will know you are at the epicenter because you have placed yourself there and let it be known. Career rewards and advancement are attainable when you are the star of the show. Stuck managing events? We can help! MC 2 is a recognized leader in event production. We ve helped GSA, AARP, AFTIC, ACCG, and AAFP among others with with association conferences, expos and general sessions. We d like to help you be successful in your role as an event manager, About the Author Rob Murphy is the chief marketing officer of MC 2, a nationally recognized leader in the exhibit and event marketing industry. Rob directs all marketing efforts for the company, including the EXHIBITOR FastTrak seminar program as well as new sales initiatives. Rob can be reached at rmurphy@mc-2.com, Atlanta Boston Chicago DETROIT Düsseldorf Kingman Las Vegas Lehigh Valley New York Orlando San Francisco St. Louis