"How to manage and market events” (Masterclass, February p36) provides very informative debate on the many details highlighted, but Triona Maddick’s comments come closest to my views on running a down-to-earth event.
This means an event that, no matter how exclusive and grand, brings maximum results and impact with minimum fuss and expense. This should be the objective, not, as I have often observed, too much hype (which tends to make people lose track of why they should go or why they went) and too many cooks in the kitchen (all highlighting the importance of their various brands’ contributions to the finished product).
To those who worry about doing things in house and the work and pitfalls this involves, I would say use a single pair of well chosen helping hands (with an intelligent head) to support your existing marketing or fundraising team. Inform them clearly of the objective and make sure the event’s message shines through before, during and afterwards. Allow the team to do the hours of basic phone, internet, e-mail and legwork slog that is the backbone of ensuring every detail is perfect – and perfectly to budget.
In this way a firm or a charity can combine all the in-house advantages with the extra assurance of not overburdening a possibly already overburdened marketing or fundraising department – and still benefit from the enormous financial and marketing impact that only a great event can bring.
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