books for event profs

Introducing The Event Decision Book Club

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Sometimes you need to look at the bigger picture: the first in our series of recommended books for #Eventprofs.

As an event owner or event planner, you know that organisation, planning and measurement are key elements to success. From choosing the right venue to coordinating the perfect schedule, every detail matters. However, there could be a ‘big picture’ view that you might be missing out on that could take your events to the next level. Fortunately, there are some great books out there to help you think more broadly about event, your business, and inspire new thinking. In the first of an occasional series; here are five books that we recommend for any event owner or event planner looking to elevate their game. Compulsory reading if you run an event measurement consultancy!

  1. The Day the World Stops Shopping: How to have a Better Life and a Greener World, J.B. Mackinnon A look at consumption around the world, in material terms. How we support our economies by buying and using ‘stuff’. Includes an interesting look at what effect the pandemic had on links to happiness. How much is ‘enough’? Is GDP even a good measure of success? In a nutshell, the books shows through variety of research and studies that that more ‘stuff’ does not equal happier lives, in fact almost the opposite.  How is this relevant for event profs? In a world where sustainability is such a buzzword, a great book to think more widely about what sustainable really means and how it could be applied more meaningfully to events. (To be really sustainable, try and get this from a library and not Amazon!).
  2. How To Measure Anything: Finding the Value of the Intangibles in Business, Douglas Hubbard A seminal text, explaining how anything can, in fact, be measured. It’s not too complex on explaining a variety of different approaches to measurement, with fascinating real-life examples on the measurement of risk, qualitative data, other intangibles and cross-industry case studies (from piano-tuners to dam-builders). If it matters, the book explains, you can measure it….and as we all know, what gets measured gets done! How is this relevant for event profs? Measuring success is a key part of delivering any event, but are we always measuring the right things? And are we missing some things that could be measured which might more effectively demonstrate success? Definitely worth a dip into.
  3. Buy-ology: How Everything we Believe About Why We Buy is Wrong, Martin Lindstrom Another look at the accumulation of ‘stuff’ but this time why we as consumers buy things and how brands use this to sell more things to us. A fascinating dive into marketing by brands and why we buy them, with case studies from Pepsi vs.Coke, McDonalds and others. If you’ve ever wondered quite why you bought that extra pair/set/thing from a brand, this book will explain the extraordinary lengths brands will adopt to get us to buy their stuff! How is this relevant for event profs? Do we really know why a visitor might choose our event and not another? What does our brand say to them about the choice they are making? A chance to step back and really thinking about how effectively we are selling the promise of our event.
  4. Overthrow: 10 Ways to tell a Challenger Story, Adam Morgan & Mark Holden We all love a good David vs. Goliath story don’t we? Here the authors outline real-life examples of how brands deliberately position themselves as challengers, up against the big brands, in order to win over their customers. Using the ten categories of challenger brands identified in their previous book Eat Big Fish, they show us how brands have successfully adopted these stand-points, in some cases even eventually becoming the Goliath themselves. How is this relevant for event profs? If your event is new to the market or up against a stronger and more dominant one, a great stimulus to think about how you could make that work to your advantage and think like a challenger.
  5. Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention, Johann Hari An immensely enjoyable look at why all our attention spans are currently so fragile, looking at a variety of possible culprits, not just social media and the digital world. A call for how, if we can just re-learn how to focus, we could be happier, more content and more productive. How is this relevant for event profs? We all have pressured lives but if we can’t take the time to sit and think deeply from time to time about some of the challenges ahead, we’re simply going to find ourselves running to stand still. A thought-provoking read and a manifesto for finding more time to pick up a book!

Five starter books that we think are essential reads for event owners and event planners looking to inspire their thinking and elevate their events. Whether you are looking to create a sustainable business model, think about measurement more holistically, take a lateral look at the branding of your event, or find time to focus deeply, these books all offer inspiration to help you achieve your goals. We recommend picking up a copy of one of them to take your business to the next level.

To find out more about our measurement, data and insight tools for event planners purpose, track and predict – and how they can help event planners and owners measure and track whether they’re living up to their event objectives, get in touch.

The Critical Importance of Measurement for Event Planners

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The most important tools in an event planner’s toolkit are the ones that help you measure your event.

As the events industry continues to grow and evolve, the use of data and insight tools has become increasingly important for event managers striving for success. Insight tools allow event managers to make data-driven decisions, measure the effectiveness of your events, and gain a deeper understanding of your audiences, as well as measure the environmental impact of the event and how well it reflects and enhances company values.

A key benefit of using data and insight tools is the ability to make informed, data-driven, decisions. By collecting and analysing data on past events, event managers can identify patterns and trends that can inform the planning and execution of future events. This leads to more effective and efficient event planning, as well as increased ROI for event organisers.

Data and insight tools also allow event managers to measure the effectiveness of their events. This includes tracking attendance, engagement, and feedback from attendees. By measuring these metrics, event managers can determine which aspects of their events are resonating with attendees and which need improvement.

Data and insight tools can also help event managers gain a much deeper understanding of their audiences. By collecting data on demographics, interests, and behaviour, event managers can create more targeted and personalised experiences for attendees. This can lead to increased engagement and satisfaction among attendees, as well as opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.

Measuring the environmental impact of an event is becoming almost the norm. With rising public sustainability concerns, measuring and reducing an event’s carbon footprint is crucial for event managers to meet the expectations of attendees and stakeholders.

There are hundreds of data and insight tools that event managers can use to measure their events. Some starting examples might include:

  1. Google Analytics: This allows event managers to track website traffic and engagement, including page views, bounce rates, and time on site. This data can be used to optimise website design and better target digital marketing and content to improve the user experience and engagement.
  2. Bespoke Forms: (SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Jotform for example) These allow event managers to collect feedback from attendees through surveys. The data can be used to improve the overall event experience and make changes for future events.
  3. Eventbrite Insights: This allows event managers to track attendance, ticket sales, and revenue for their events. This data can be used to inform pricing and marketing strategies and measure the overall ROI of an event.
  4. Track by event:decision This allows event managers to measure an event’s carbon footprint by tracking either pre- or post-event, the emissions of travel, accommodation, F&B, materials, freight & energy associated with the event. The tool also provides recommendations on how to reduce the environmental impact of the event, a benchmark against other similar format events and the potential offset value.

The use of data and insight tools is an essential component of event managers’ success. Tools like those above – and many others – allow event managers to make data-driven decisions, measure the effectiveness of your events, gain a deeper understanding of their audiences, and measure and reduce the environmental impact of the event. With the right data and insights, you can create more engaging, sustainable, and successful events, resulting in increased ROI and more satisfied attendees.

To find out more about our data and insight tools for event planners purpose, track and predict – and how they can help event planners and owners measure and track whether they’re living up to their event objectives, get in touch.

green-hushing

The dangers of green-hushing for events

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The events industry is no stranger to the concept of greenwashing, or the act of promoting environmentally-friendly initiatives and practices in order to appear more sustainable, without actually taking any substantial steps towards sustainability. However, in recent years,  ‘green-hushing’ has emerged as a new and particularly dangerous form of greenwashing in events.

Green-hushing is the act of actively hiding or downplaying the environmental impact of an event, rather than promoting sustainability. This can take the form of not disclosing information about the carbon footprint of an event, not offering environmentally-friendly options for attendees, or simply not addressing sustainability at all.

While it may be tempting for events organisers to engage in green-hushing in order to cut costs or avoid criticism, the dangers of this practice are far-reaching.

Dangers of green-hushing

First and foremost, green-hushing is dishonest and deceptive. It misleads attendees and stakeholders into believing that an event is more sustainable than it actually is, and can damage the reputation of both the event and the industry as a whole. Trust is a critical component of any business relationship, and green-hushing undermines this trust by hiding important information and presenting a false image.

In addition to damaging reputation, green-hushing can also have negative financial consequences. As more and more consumers and businesses prioritise sustainability in their purchasing decisions, events that are not transparent about their environmental impact may face decreased attendance and sponsorship. This can lead to lost revenue and ultimately, financial harm for the event organisers.

Green-hushing also contributes to the larger problem of climate change and environmental degradation. By not addressing the environmental impact of an event, organisers are failing to take responsibility for their personal role in this global issue. This lack of responsibility not only perpetuates the problem, but also undermines the efforts of those in the industry who are working to make events more sustainable.

So, what can event organisers do to avoid green-hushing and ensure that their events are truly sustainable?

Three steps to avoid green-hushing

#1 Transparency is key. Event organisers should be open and honest about the environmental impact of their events, including the carbon footprint and any other relevant information. This not only helps to build trust with attendees and stakeholders, but it also allows organisers to identify areas where they can improve sustainability. Assessing the carbon footprint of any event at planning stage is now accessible to event organisers large and small through track from event:decision.

#2 Reduce environmental impact. Event organisers should make a concerted effort to reduce their environmental impact by implementing sustainable practices such as using eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, and offering sustainable transportation options for attendees. These practices not only help to minimise the environmental impact of the event, but they can also save money in the long run.

#3 Be proactive and promote. Finally, event organisers should be proactive in their efforts to promote sustainability. This can involve partnering with environmental organisations, educating attendees about sustainability, and offering incentives for those who take environmentally-friendly actions.

Green-hushing is a dangerous practice for the events industry. It undermines trust, can have negative financial consequences, and contributes to the larger problem of climate change. Event organisers who prioritise transparency, sustainability, and proactivity will not only do their part to protect the environment, but they will also position themselves as leaders in events.

To find out more about our carbon footprint and sustainability tool track, and how it can help plan and execute fully sustainable events, please get in touch.

event:decision 2022 unwrapped

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2022 has been quite a year for event:decision. This is what our year looks like unwrapped.

We reported and advised on event sustainability for 63 new agencies and brand customers.

data and insight for events

We measured the carbon footprint of heaps of events with our track tool, but some of our highlights included a luxury car launch in California, a jewellery show in Singapore and 90,000 people at London’s Battersea Park Fireworks Display!

The heaviest event we measured equates to the average European citizen’s annual footprint per delegate. The lightest event measured equates to the footprint of a pint of milk per delegate.

We supported brands, agencies, societies and associations. As well as exhibition owners and digital platforms.

We also supported all these events (plus a few more):

The Meetings Show, Conference News, Micebook, M&IT, London Summer Event Show,
Sustainable Events Show, International Confex, Digital Event News, Cvent Connect,
CN Sustainability Summit

data and insight for events

We were also proud sponsors of the industry leading Elevate Mentoring.

2022 was a year of launches for us. We launched purpose from event:decision which reports on company values. It’s the only tool for agencies to discover if they are the company that they say they are. It joins our carbon footprint and event sustainability tool track and our risk measurement tool predict. And lastly, we launched our sparkling new website and client portal.

We did all this without stepping on a plane!

So if you’ve been a part of our journey in 2022, thank you. We look forward to continuing to help you make better decisions in 2023 with our full suite of data and insight tools. If you’d like to talk to us about how we can help, please get in touch.