Event Management – Fedra Meetings & Events

Tag: Event Management

Exercise and improve your productivity!

Posted on 19 Luglio 201719 Luglio 2017 by Fedra

Exercising at work is supposed to make you more ‘productive’, although there is very little research to support this. A new study seeks to answer whether people perform better in their jobs on days they exercise.

The research led by the University of Bristol entitled, Exercising at work and self-reported work performance is published in the current issue of International Journal of Workplace Health Management.

The researchers examined if being active during the working day affects people’s mood and performance. Two hundred people took part in the study. They exercised on a fairly regular basis using worksite-provided facilities, such as the gym or exercise classes. Volunteers worked at one of three large, well-known companies in Bristol. They mainly held desk-based roles and rated themselves as good at their jobs.

The researchers found from the focus groups that people who built exercise into their workday experienced positive spin-offs. Exercise helped re-energise and improve concentration, made people feel calmer and particularly assisted with problem solving. Networking opportunities also seemed to thrive.

When you exercise, you are uncomfortable; but, you keep going. You walk to the end of the street, you do another rep or you run just one more minute. Being productive and getting work done at times is just really about pushing yourself to finish that sentence, make that phone call and be slightly uncomfortable. Exercise trains you on how you choose to work through discomfort.

Exercise is the secret sauce of highly effective, productive people.

Further information

The paper: Exercising at work and self-reported work performance; J. C. Coulson, J. McKenna, M. Field (pp. 176-197), International Journal of Workplace Health Management 2008; Volume 1 Issue 3.

How to Get It Right and Avoid #WiFiFail

Posted on 30 Gennaio 201718 Luglio 2017 by Fedra

Event venues know secure, fast event WiFi is critical to the success of your events, which is why WiFi for events is the second most profitable service that venues sell (guest rooms are still easily the most profitable).

And many event venues are really stepping up to the plate when it comes to upgrading their event WiFi infrastructure so it can handle the bandwidth required for large crowds with multiple devices.

With that said, here are the important points every event professional needs to know when assessing the WiFi needs for their events.

Never, ever rely on cell phone towers or standard WiFi in hotel common areas to carry the load for your whole event

This is a rookie mistake that even most rookies avoid, and if you go this route, you are only asking for anger and bile from your attendees. Don’t try to save money and skimp on WiFi coverage if you know your attendees are going to be relying on it to stay connected and participate at the event.

Instead, include dedicated event WiFi coverage as a line item in your initial budget and explain to your clients of the importance of dedicated WiFi for events such as theirs.

Devices and users

These days, even wedding guests are on their smartphones and thus require a solid wireless connection, and their usage pales in comparison to larger events or events in the tech industry, which could grow into the hundreds or thousands of megabits per second (Mbps – a standard measure of data transfer).

The first order of business is to determine how many actual users you will have – this includes attendees, vendors, contractors, exhibitors and event staff. A good rule of thumb for determining how much bandwidth you need is to allow for 8-12 Mbps per 100 users for high-usage groups and 2-3 Mbps per 100 users for lower usage groups.

So how do you determine whether your crowd is high- or low-usage?

You first need to look at who will be your users of technology and how much will they use.

Are your attendees just going to need WiFi for general usage (like Web browsing, social media, apps)? Are they going to be loading low-resolution or high-resolution video (which sucks up tons of bandwidth)?

Are they going to be super users who have lots of devices and open applications that are bandwidth hogs? The type of event and types of attendees are definitely things that you will need to asses upfront.

Finally, you also need to consider how many devices your users will be using at the event.

Many people at conferences and trade shows have a smartphone, tablet and computer in tow and may be accessing the WiFi on all three devices simultaneously (for those of us with three hands).

For example, if you have a conference-type event of 800 attendees, you may need to plan on 2,400 simultaneous connections. Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and event WiFi providers have the ability to limit the bandwidth of individual attendees or the number of devices they can simultaneously use, so that is something worth considering to keep costs down.

Map out your event WiFi footprint

Do you want your WiFi to cover the entire span of your event, both inside and outside? This could get expensive, especially if you have a lot of square footage, some of which may see less demand for a wireless signal.

A good rule of thumb here is to deploy WiFi where you know you will definitely need it – like conference/breakout/session rooms, hallways, lounges, trade show floors and expo halls. Also, what some event managers do is to create a specific WiFi hotspot that has lots of bandwidth, and they direct heavy users to these areas.

Part of determining the event WiFi footprint is where you or your WiFi provider will place access points. An access point is a device (usually a router or relay) that enables Internet access for an area of approximately 3000 sq ft. Each access point usually can serve from 50-100 people, so make sure that your venue’s access points can each handle at least 50 people.

Make it easy

At the event itself, your attendees’ first instinct will be to access a wireless signal from their cellular carrier, and they may be in for a bit of shock when they realize that thousands of others are trying to do the same and their device is operating at a crawl.

So to avoid this, make sure to publicize in all materials the WiFi Network Name (also called an SSID) and, if necessary, password. Make sure to make the WiFi Network Name intuitive (like an abbreviated version of the event name) so that it is easily recognized in a list of networks, and, if you must require a password, also make it simple, short and intuitive (not lots of caps and symbols).

You should also post the WiFi Network name on posters in very conspicuous and high-traffic areas and provide clear, non-techie instructions on how to access the network.

Finally, you should keep tabs on how your dedicated WiFi is functioning at the event and if there are any outages or issues among users. A good tactic here is just to monitor your social media feeds and look for your event hashtag with the #WiFiFail hashtag in posts.

Have more ideas? Include them in the comments below.

Indoor vs Outdoor Venues: Which is More Sustainable?

Posted on 28 Ottobre 201618 Luglio 2017 by Fedra

When you’re planning any kind of event, a big question is always where the venue should be. After all, the venue can have a huge impact on the overall experience of your attendees. The shift from an indoor to an outdoor venue can make all the difference, even when it comes to making your event more sustainable.

Energy Use

You may not often think about how sustainable an event is based on whether it takes place inside or outside but there certainly are some environmental factors to consider. If your event takes place outside during the day, for instance, you can say goodbye to lighting! On a bright day, the sun will provide all the natural light you can ever need. As for heating/cooling, simply dress for the weather!

Of course, energy usage is nullified somewhat if your indoor venue happens to use renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic panels. Many indoor venues do focus on being more environmentally conscious and make an effort to reduce their environmental impact.

Transportation

Indoor venues also have the added benefit of being closer to busier urban areas, making access to public transit easier and reducing travel times. Large outdoor venues can often be located much further from urban centres in order to preserve the natural scenery, meaning your attendees are going to have to increase their travel and subsequent carbon footprint in order to get there. As mentioned before, travel often has the largest impact on an event’s carbon footprint. Whether your venue is indoor or outdoor, you can reduce carbon emissions choosing your venue by proximity to public transit.

Waste Management

One major challenge you may face if you choose an outdoor venue is the problem of event waste management. In general, people just seem to be more considerate about not littering when they are indoors.

If you’re planning a large outdoor event – be it a music, food or street festival – you already know how waste management can present a big headache.

For events with restricted access grounds, you have a lot more control on the waste management front. For walk-up events with a security perimeter, for instance, you can prevent certain types of waste (e.g. plastic water bottles) from entering the grounds. The benefit here is that you have a much better grasp on the kind of waste that you’ll be dealing with.

Young women picking up bottles after a festivalhttp://195.154.178.81/DATA/shoots/ic_782678.jpg

Indoor vs. Outdoor Venue

When choosing an indoor or outdoor venue, you are the only one who knows details such as attendance, time of year, and budget. Either way, the choice is yours to make and I hope that you are keeping sustainability in mind as you make that choice.

How To Take Notes at Events

Posted on 21 Ottobre 201618 Luglio 2017 by Fedra

Thanks to technology, nowadays we have many gadgets to track things. They are the personal secretary whom we cannot afford.

Similarly, at an event, to maximize the ROI (return-on-investment) in terms of money and time, it is also important to track important things such as “check out the book <<Hooked>> mentioned by the speaker”, “follow up with John on the introduction to a potential engineer recruit”, etc.

Note taking is not just for event goers, but also for event organizers. Organizers can use notes to track TODOs to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks during the busy event days.

Here are 8 tips for note-taking at events and suggestions on how to easily take notes within the context of the event activity.

What to write? [For Event Organizers]

1. TODOs for event management

You probably already have a general event checklist to make sure everything goes smoothly. After checking that, it is important to write down all the details to do during an event, e.g. checking special A/V equipment or catering schedule before a specific event. It is also helpful if you can easily share the notes with your fellow organizers.

2. Speakers / VIPs Information

To make sure that speakers and VIPs will arrive on time and you greet them appropriately, it is helpful to take notes about their phone numbers, extra parking permits arranged, seating information, etc., just in case. If you need to pick them up from an airport, it is also helpful to have their pictures to recognize them as well as any useful information helpful for ice breaking.

3. About people you met at an event

Engaging new members, attendees, or VIPs is important especially if you are organizing an event for community building, networking, or fundraising. You can also meet potential sponsors and vendors to work with in the future. It is useful to remember not only their names and contact information but where you met, what you talked about, and what’s the next step to follow up.

4. Onsite feedback and observations for the future events

As an event professional, you will also learn new things by making mistakes, listening to attendees’ feedback, and observing how pleasant or unpleasant things happen unexpectedly. A quick note taken at each moment will be a precious resource for you when you recap lessons after the event and apply them for future events. You can also take a note about attendees / members who provided a valuable input for you and send a thank you email after an event.

What to write? [For Event Attendees]

1. Pre-event notes: Questions to ask & people whom to meet with

I bet you attend a professional event to gain new knowledge and experience, and/or network with new people. To achieve it, you need to do homework prior to the event: explore event programs and think about questions to ask speakers or industry experts; research their backgrounds and take note on what to talk about with them.

I know it is not easy especially if you don’t know who else will attend the event or don’t have time to search their backgrounds on the internet.

2. New information and experiences you get

You get lots of information from others at an event, but it is unlikely to retain all the information. It is often just a name of a book or a new product, buzzwords, or a person’s name mentioned during a conversation. It is always helpful to take a note of them and do web search later not to let useful information slip through our fingers.

3. About people you met at an event

If you met an important person at an event, for example potential clients or business partners, you would like to write down any useful information to engage them after the event, such as what she/he was interested in, commonality both of you have, summary of the conversation and contact information.

4. Personal plans on event activities and logistics

While organizers usually provide you enough information about local attractions, directions, parking information, etc., it is always handy if you bring your own notes about a direction from your place, more cost-effective shuttle bus or parking lot. It will be good to take a quick note for organizers’ announcements, such as schedule changes, meeting scheduled onsite, and wi-fi password.

How and where to write?

Nowadays many people use smartphones to take a note and there are good note-taking apps out there such as Evernote or OneNote. While they are much better than writing on a piece of papers or napkins, they are not the best tools for notes at events as it is not easy to associate your notes with the specific event activity the notes were taken for, such as a session or meeting you wrote about.

Increase Your Event Through Gamification

Posted on 10 Ottobre 201618 Luglio 2017 by Fedra

Learn to “gamify” your event in a way that will keep attendees engaged and participating.

The basic idea of gamification is to apply “game mechanics and game design techniques in nongame contexts.” If employed effectively, it can increase engagement and encourage active participation.

Oftentimes, meeting attendees go through the motions of attending an event or a conference—they show up at sessions and attend networking events—but how can you ensure those attendees are actually learning, engaging and networking?

One clever approach? Gamify your event.

Gamification can help increase:

attendance at sessions, breakouts and networking events;
networking success;
social interactions and mentions; and
the fun factor!

Now, here are two steps to help you try it at your next event or meeting.

Step 1: Determine the goal of your meeting, and determine how gamification can help you achieve that objective.

Attendance: If increasing attendance is a goal, consider using a check-in game (digital or otherwise) for attendees. Reward the attendee with the most check-ins.

Networking: Want to ramp up your next networking event? Really get people mingling—and gaming—by rewarding the attendee who collects the most business cards or who scans the most nametag QR codes.

Social: Boost engagement, interactions and mentions on social media by tracking attendee participation across specified platforms. Reward attendees for being the most active and socially engaged.

Fun factor: Any method of gamification can make a meeting experience distinctly interesting, engaging and unique. The fun is inherent.

Step 2: At the end of any game, there’s a winner, right? The same goes for the gamification of your event.

The “prize” need not be monetary; it could include status rewards—think VIP access to networking events, dinners or cocktail receptions. Other prizes could be event swag, gift certificates from local businesses and services, and access to or discounts on hotel amenities.