How do you produce events that are both creative and practical?

Producing events that are both creative and practical can be a challenging but rewarding skill. Whether you are planning a conference, a workshop, a festival, or a celebration, you want to create an engaging and memorable experience for your audience, while also managing your budget, resources, and logistics. How can you balance these aspects and achieve your goals? Here are some tips to help you produce events that are both creative and practical.

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1 Know your purpose

Before you start planning your event, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and why. What is the main message or theme of your event? Who is your target audience and what are their needs and expectations? How will you measure the success of your event? Having a clear purpose will help you define your objectives, scope, and strategy for your event, and also guide your creative decisions.

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Robin Hawksworth

Creative ideas, brand strategy with a touch of behavioural magic!
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Creatively you need a mix of speakers who are related by topic but not by solution. This offers a number of perspectives to the audience.... When it's industry specific seek to offer a lower prices solution to those who cannot afford to attend. Quite often those you wish to reach are not those in the room as the higher the price and the more specific it becomes then the room may become full of CEO's... Live streams with extra content should not be discounted.

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2 Do your research

One of the best ways to spark your creativity and find inspiration for your event is to do your research. Look at what other events in your field or industry are doing, and what makes them stand out. What are the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in event production? What are the gaps or opportunities that you can fill or explore? How can you differentiate your event from others and create a unique value proposition? Researching your market, competitors, and audience will help you generate ideas and insights for your event.

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3 Brainstorm and prototype

Once you have some ideas for your event, you need to test and refine them. Brainstorming is a process of generating and evaluating multiple options for your event concept, format, content, design, and delivery. You can use various techniques, such as mind mapping, word association, or SWOT analysis, to stimulate your creativity and generate alternatives. Prototyping is a process of creating mock-ups or simulations of your event elements, such as the venue, the agenda, the speakers, or the activities, to test their feasibility and impact. You can use tools, such as sketches, models, or digital platforms, to visualize and communicate your prototypes.

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Robin Hawksworth

Creative ideas, brand strategy with a touch of behavioural magic!
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Think differently as with so many conferences being driven by ease of access then you need to be offer a different solution than sitting in a room being lectured at. Side events with interactive discussion or physical elements should be top off your list of explored offerings.

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4 Collaborate and delegate

Producing events that are both creative and practical requires teamwork and coordination. You cannot do everything by yourself, and you need to leverage the skills and expertise of others. Collaborating with your stakeholders, partners, suppliers, and staff will help you get feedback, input, and support for your event. Delegating tasks and responsibilities will help you manage your workload, time, and resources more efficiently. You need to establish clear roles, expectations, and communication channels for your team, and also provide them with the tools and guidance they need to perform their tasks.

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Robin Hawksworth

Creative ideas, brand strategy with a touch of behavioural magic!
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One thing that is often missed is the return on investment for key sponsors and partners. Side events with free-live streams to your main website hosted by these brands/companies also allows for extra input on the event. Speakers interviews etc.. Quite often the steering teams hold all the cards but not all the answers. Asking the key stakeholders what they wish to achieve can add extra content or even a parallel narrative.

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5 Plan and execute

Planning and executing your event are the final stages of the production process, where you turn your creative vision into reality. Planning involves creating a detailed blueprint of your event, including the budget, timeline, logistics, marketing, and contingency plans. You need to use project management tools and techniques, such as Gantt charts, checklists, or software, to organize and monitor your plan. Executing involves implementing your plan and delivering your event on the day. You need to use event management tools and techniques, such as registration, catering, audiovisual, or feedback systems, to ensure a smooth and successful event.

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6 Evaluate and improve

Producing events that are both creative and practical is a continuous learning process. You need to evaluate your event and measure its outcomes and impact. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, or analytics, to collect and analyze data and feedback from your audience, sponsors, speakers, and staff. You need to use the results to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your event, and to find areas for improvement. You also need to celebrate your achievements and recognize your team and partners for their contributions. Evaluating and improving your event will help you grow your skills and reputation as an event producer.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you produce events that are both creative and practical?

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2

3

4

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1 Know your purpose

2 Do your research

3 Brainstorm and prototype

4 Collaborate and delegate

5 Plan and execute

6 Evaluate and improve

7 Here’s what else to consider

Event Production

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How do you produce events that are both creative and practical?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your purpose

2 Do your research

3 Brainstorm and prototype

4 Collaborate and delegate

5 Plan and execute

6 Evaluate and improve

7 Here’s what else to consider

Event Production

Rate this article

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