This can be the year you realize your dream! Planning and hosting a seminar, workshop, or similar event is not nearly as hard as you might think. And I’ve got some tips to help with your plans.
Decide on a format
Your event doesn’t have to be in person. Today’s advanced technology (high speed Internet connection and wide-screen computers) enables them to be conducted virtually quite successfully. In fact, online meeting space, webcasts and live chats are increasingly quite common. Also, the sessions can be recorded and transcribed for later distribution to your attendees.
In addition to deciding where and how to hold your event (the in-person or virtual factor), you’ll need to decide how long the event will last, your topic, and how you’re going to present it.
Who will be involved? Will you have guest speakers or go it alone? Sometimes an event has a discussion panel. Will yours? Or will it be lecture-based? For the audience you plan to reach, what makes the most sense? What format do you prefer? How can you best deliver your information?
Who will get an invitation?
Will you advertise the event? Open it only to your select clients? Offer it to a targeted list of prospects?
Choose your topic
What about your expertise will you devote to the session? This decision has a lot to do with your goals. Do you want to convert prospects to clients? Dazzle your current clients? Build relationships with colleagues?
It’s important to be sure about your audience because you’ll choose a topic a bit differently for your prospects than you would for clients. Each audience has different concerns and interests.
When your event is over, ask the participants for feedback. What did they love? What bombed with them? What do they suggest that will improve your next event?
And use those responses to improve your next event.
