New event mentality

We're currently in the process of developing a new event idea. Whilst this is exciting it also leads to the question - how do we, a small agency, get the event off the ground...?!

All new events need to be different to anything else in the market; they need to offer the target audience a reason to attend and it needs to be commercially attractive to sponsors. If it is all of these surely it will easily take off...?

Not really

The problem with any event is that you have to commit early on to a venue, marketing (both delegate and sponsor wise) and other financially draining areas. Obviously not an issue if you're a big organiser - more concerning if you are not.

Generating money early is vital to any events success but even more so for smaller agencies, where funds tend to have to stretch further than say in the large organisers such as EMap and Reed.

It may sound mad but my take on it is that confidence is key to any new event being a success, especially if you are a small agency that does not have endless pots of money. You have to believe your event will work, that your event is needed in the market place and that if you don't proceed with the event idea someone else will launch the same idea down the line. Obviously confidence does not guarantee the event will be a success but it ensures you back your judgements and decisions, meaning your event will be expertly designed, managed and organised - definitely a big help in the success stakes!

If you believe your event will work it makes it easier to sell to sponsors and delegates thus making it easier to generate finance.

Away from the finances if you have a great event idea and confidence in it accordingly creating partnerships with other organisations and associations within your target market becomes more likely. Aside from financial backing, relevant partnerships are key in getting an event to succeed - it gives the event some extra credibility to go alongside our words of "it is a great event," etc. For example if you are organising an event in the construction market, having backing by the ECIA would certainly add credibility in the eyes of potential sponsors and delegates.

Bottom line is...every event, even the massive succes stories such as BETT and Ideal Home, have to start somewhere. If you have a good idea for an event then the best advice is to launch it and see what happens...fact is you can never be certain

www.connectevents.co.uk