Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance - Vi-gra doesn’t work for everything.

Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

This great military adage has proven itself time and time again in one of the more enjoyable aspects of my job, event planning. So far during my ‘internship’ I have planned and hosted three events ranging from small briefings to large 100-person cocktail functions and the key, I believe, is having a solid planning document that ensures you always know what needs to be done, what has been done, and when everything needs to be done by. 

Stephen Fry once said “An original idea. That can't be too hard. The library must be full of them.” Well ideas like speeches, letters, books and even jokes, can be broken down into a methodical structures and once you’ve got the structure down everything else is just stuffing, events are no different.

Event planning was touched on briefly in the first year unit PR Techniques, but there are some cool tools out there to make the process easier. For example, the websites Trybooking and Eventbrite allow users to maintain a centralized booking system where people can either freely register for an event or pay for a ticket, the websites then generate an automated self-managing guest list. Additionally, Eventbrite gives users the option of using the Eventbrite 'App' so you can tick people off as they arrive. This is really useful for post event follow-ups because you know exactly who and who didn’t attend (don’t rely on RSVP lists).

One of the most important aspects of event planning, in my view, is something that is often overlooked and that is: Why are you actually holding the event? 

Lots of people seem to think that holding as event is a strategy in itself, but events should simply be a tactic in achieving your strategy and not a strategy of its own. Thoughts to ponder include: What you want people to take away from the event; what you want people to commit to at the event (money, time etc.); and how is an event the best use of your resources given your strategy? 

In so many cases, if you just want to tell someone something, you’re better off organising one-on-one meetings with people, it’s cheaper, a little more time consuming, but considerably more personal and interactive and more likely to generate a personal relationships, which is more powerful than any event.

Finally, I want to touch briefly on the importance of post event follow-up. In my previous blog post I highlighted how all good speeches have a skeletal structure that can be used repeatedly: Tell people what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you’ve told them, the same should be applied to events. Your invitation will tell people what you’re going to tell them, your event is where you tell them, and you should follow-up post event to thank people and importantly tell them what you’ve told them.

So that’s events - until next week.

Ron

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First Week! take 2

So my first post was blank due to my puppy sitting with me and pressed my keyboard with her paw, accidentally pressing publish...and now im not sure how to delete it, sorry!

I started my internship yesterday at Inhouse Group Pty Ltd, located in Mandurah, which is a business development and marketing company, but its services extend much further than these titles. A large part of their business involves web design, printing, event and project management and IT services. I will be working at Inhouse on Thursdays and Fridays until the end of semester 2. At this stage they do not have a specific person designated for PR work at the company (until now!).

I have been appointed "PR and Marketing Officer" (which comes with my very own email address and desk!) It was all systems go from as soon as I started. Inhouse has recently launched an iPhone App called Chirp Deals, which offers users a variety of savings at businesses nearby (although at this stage it only serves businesses in Mandurah and surrounds, it is soon to be launched in Perth). Inhouse is hosting a launch party for the Chirp Deals App at a local bar. The party will feature artists Nina Las Vegas, San Cisco and Profound Sound. My job on my first day was to write individual press releases for each of these artists as well as the party itself and send them to local journalists. I am also responsible for getting in touch with each artist's publicist and arranging interviews between the journalists and the artist, to be included in the newspapers with my press releases.

I also wrote a press release promoting hip hop artist Drapht who is performing in Mandurah in October as part of Inhouse's entertainment venture, Electric Ballroom. I also got in touch with Drapht's publicist to arrange interviews to accompany his press release.

Another one of my tasks is to generate Facebook posts from the Electric Ballroom fan page, as well as from the page of MY&R (Mandurah Young and Restless) which aims to make Mandurah more fun for young people. The posts are aimed at getting young people hyped for the weekly Electric Ballroom events and generate awareness for the artists performing.

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Today i fine tuned my press releases and sent them to the journalists of the two local Mandurah papers. I send a few emails around trying to organise interviews for the artists but it's difficult to get a hold of everyone! I also reviewed the company's strategic plan with an aim to tweaking it to reflect their current missions, visions and goals, as it was last updated around 6 months ago.

I also looked into ideas to promote artist Emma Blyth, whose paintings are featured primarily in Mandurah and Broome both commercially (in restaurants and resorts, also the theme artwork for the Channel 7 Crab Fest) and in her own galleries for private purchase. Inhouse aim to promote Blyth more widely and increase awareness.

So far i am very much enjoying my placement at Inhouse, the people are very nice and entertaining which helps make it a positive experience!

I am looking forward to further applying what I've learnt at uni into the real world and its nice to know three years of study has paid off!