Kayla Cook Events specializes in event management and production. We’ve worked on small corporate events, festival VIP lounges and large scale 4,000+ person business conferences. No matter the size, scope or budget we follow a very specific blueprint for planning and executing events.
Do The Research
When we first meet with the client, we ask and identify these important event deliverables. It’s important to build a solid foundation with this information in order to understand how the event (and your client) will be successful.
· What are the Event Goals?
· What is the Event Budget?
· Who is the Audience and Stakeholders?
· What are the Event KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)?
Build The Team
We work very close with our clients to understand the mission and vison of the event. From there, we outline what partners and vendors we need to execute. It’s also very important to build strong relationships within the event industry so you have a skilled professional network to tap into. We have a preferred vendor list for both our corporate and social clients.
Communication & Organization
We believe very strongly that excellent communication and organization are essential for a successful event. You need to be able to communicate details, expectations, key dates, vendor information, etc. to make sure all stakeholders are on the same page when it comes to event specifics. There are some great management tools that make the management of information easy. A few of our favorites: Basecamp, Asana and Trello.
Promoting The Event
Whether you are sending invites or securing media and advertising, it’s curial to have a solid marketing plan for your event. First, we outline a workback schedule and goals for attendance. Based on the budget you’ve confirmed, we look into paid social options and incorporating that with our email campaign. It’s also very important that your branding and messaging is clear and direct – What is your call to action? We’ve worked with numerous clients that come to us with very mixed messages and our best advice is to remove the fluff and directly ask for what you want.
Finalize the Details
One of the last steps, finalizing your onsite details and building a run of show. We like to host a few production meetings leading up to the event with our key vendors. This is vital to align everyone and make sure everyone is crystal clear on details and expectations onsite.
The Event Debrief
Very important and commonly overlooked. Hosting a debrief meeting post-event with your client is crucial in gaining valuable feedback from them on the success of the event. Where the event goals met, did we stay on budget, where leads generated, is the client happy, etc.? Gathering feedback post-event, positive or negative, will help strengthen management skills for future events.