The primary focus of events is communication, communication with an audience that is already somewhat predisposed to listen. The audience is gathered in a place—a venue, an exhibit, or a virtual space—attentive to the message being delivered, hoping to learn something. Possibly to gather intelligence for what they need to make a purchase decision or to learn about the next new market offering.
This communication is a four-part process: (1) the communicator, (2) the message, (3) the intended audience, and (4) the response. If any one of these is missing, there is no communication.
This process holds true regardless of the medium: language, music, the arts, or the event experience.
In the last decade, the goal of communicating/influencing at events has evolved into creating “an experience.” This makes sense since, unlike most other avenues of communication, events demand a presence, usually but not always, physical. The term “immersive” has become part of the language of events, and “immersive” connotes a whole-body presence, all senses engaged.
Audience Expectations
Audiences now expect experiences, no longer content to listen or watch; they want to be engaged. Prior to the emphasis on the experiences, however, when the audience wanted engagement, the “communicator” didn’t always provide it. The audience wandered the exhibit or event space, unengaged and unapproached — or they were ignored. These wanderers could amuse themselves by maybe watching a short video or scanning a brochure. They didn’t appear to be on anyone’s radar, even though engaging them and listening to their interests or concerns was probably identified as one of the main reasons for investing in the event.
Today, we know that planning the experience is as much a part of the event as the choice of flooring or graphic design—perhaps more so. The experience is carefully planned in conjunction with the physical space. For example, at PCMA, exhibitors provide not only exhibit drawings, but they must also provide a description of the experience.
Changing Goals
Not long ago, the goal was to create a compelling structure, in the belief that a “wow” structure would provide an exceptional experience. (“If you build it, they will come,” to borrow a misquoted line from the 1989 film Field of Dreams.) Or to have graphics that explain everything to the visitor, which, intentionally or not, cut out the human exchange. The message was on the wall—wasn’t that enough? How about using catering to lure visitors to the space? That didn’t go far enough because people would line up to get food or coffee but never have a conversation with a representative of the company. What about attracting visitors with giveaways? Visitors would come for the swag, but the connection between the event and the swag was unclear. People would see colleagues with a cowboy hat and ask, “Where did you get that?” A rush to the space giving away the hat and then—nothing. There was no tie-in between the exhibitor and the hat. A muddy message at best.
The exhibit or event structure isn’t enough, the graphics aren’t enough, the giveaways aren’t enough, because at the heart of the matter, the experience should be unmistakably human. Planning needs to go beyond “what do we want to tell them?” to “what response do we want to elicit?”
How Do We Plan the Experience?
- The Communicator (Staff): We’ve all heard enough about staff training that covers body language and open-ended questions. But an experience requires more; it necessitates learning about the individual, determining how much they already know about your product or service, and inviting them to an activity that captures their interest. Want to play a game? Did you see the new product announcement over here? Come on, I’ll show you. Have you used our product before? No? What are you using now?
- The Message: Have you ever been to an event where someone from the company approaches you and starts talking before learning what your interests are? Has a person ever assumed they knew your preferences, your biases, your level of knowledge? If you can say ‘no,’ you are a rare breed. The message needs to focus on the exhibiting company’s objectives without seeming to do so. Do you have an elevator pitch that you can retool for the event? Practice delivering the message until you make it your own and deliver it without feeling self-conscious.
- The Audience: At an event, you are safe to assume a level of interest, or else the person wouldn’t be there. Beyond that, assume nothing. Ask questions, preferably open-ended. Start on a personal, not a product-centered, level. If you’re uncomfortable, prepare some questions that work: how long have you been at your current company? What did you do before that? Think: what types of questions do you feel like answering? People like talking about themselves; give your attendees that opportunity.
- The Response: Your message should be crafted to elicit a response. The attendee uses a competitor’s product? Don’t challenge their choice. Find out what they like about that product; events are great places to gather competitive intelligence. Be prepared to provide data if you are asked to compare your product to a competitor’s. The best staffed event will include someone who handles the ‘tough’ questions, who can talk about issues like pending legal actions or product recalls. Bringing in a public relations expert is a smart move, as it keeps the response on target.
Companies invest in events hoping to yield a solid, positive ROI. One way to boost your return is to design the experience along with every other design element.
