Planning and Marketing Conferences and Workshops Guide

Introduction

At the outset, we must begin by defining planning, which has been described as proactive decision-making within an organization. The importance of planning and marketing can initiate an ongoing process that helps an organization design its services to meet the needs of the customer. This helps shift the traditional focus away from internal operations toward customer expectations and convenience. Experts such as Weygand (1995) have suggested that a marketing audit should be an ongoing process in every organization in order to identify trends and changes taking place in the market (Planning and Marketing).

Nowadays, promotion budgets for most organizations are very tight, and a great deal of thought is given to the conferences that decision makers plan to attend. As an initial observation, it can be noted that since 2003, most decision makers have been keen on attending only the most important and large conferences, as well as local, state, or regional shows. Wherever a conference may be held, it remains one of the key areas where organizations are able to interact with the people who use their services (Making Conferences Work for You).

The Importance of Planning

Consider a situation in which an executive is preparing a marketing brief for an agency's use. The most important starting point for planning is understanding the current position of the organization, as this will help in organizing events in a manner that achieves greater success through the next plan. The first important aspect is to know the product — defined in terms of its benefits to customers, its strengths and weaknesses, and its uses. This information is critical when it must be presented on paper or through visuals. Equally important at this stage is understanding how the product differs from the competition, often referred to as the unique selling proposition (USP). The second important aspect of any product is its position in the market, which refers to trends in market share and whether that share is growing or declining (Planning a Successful Marketing Campaign).

Declines typically occur because superior products have entered the market or because of poor communication. Studying these factors may provide new insights into methods for improving a product's market position. The third important consideration is knowing the competitors well enough, along with their individual strengths and weaknesses. This can sometimes lead to the discovery of opportunities in the market that the product under review could fulfill. The next natural step is gaining knowledge of the broader market situation, particularly the activities of competitors. This knowledge helps in differentiating the product from others in the market, even when direct competition exists.

In the fifth stage, one must begin looking at the objective of the campaign, which could range from introducing a new product to capturing additional market share or informing consumers of a new development. The purpose of the campaign often determines the style of communication and incorporates the information gathered in the first four steps. The sixth important aspect of marketing planning is coordinating marketing activities with the other activities of the organization. Every campaign must fit in with all other organizational activities, which often means linking with the sales team. Any plan developed by the marketing group must therefore align with the activities of the entire organization (Planning a Successful Marketing Campaign).

The seventh important point is properly targeting the market, also known as market segmentation. Once the target market has been identified, it must be approached precisely without wasting effort on others. Agencies can assist with this, but the marketing executive should also have a clear understanding of the customers — the magazines they read, the television programs they watch, and the exhibitions, workshops, and conferences they attend. The eighth important point is deciding on the type of marketing activity to be carried out, which is often determined by the available budget, the aims of the campaign, and the presentation styles and media preferences of the target customers.

The ninth important point concerns the available budget, as it will ultimately define the scope of the campaign. The budget is often determined by the stage of the product in its life cycle, making realistic budget planning essential. If the budget does not allow for a national television campaign, there is no point in considering it — alternative approaches must be explored. The tenth important point is free and clear communication of ideas among all participants in the planning process, since no one is a mind reader and every participant's ideas are valuable. The greater the amount of open interaction, the better the quality of the resulting campaign. The final point is ensuring a clear flow of information, and for this purpose it is better to communicate only through specified channels within the marketing team to avoid confusion (Planning a Successful Marketing Campaign).

The next important question is how to make the company or its product most meaningful to decision makers. This question cannot be answered directly; it is better to hold meetings for this purpose. The first day of such meetings should be reserved for management executives, and the second for other staff and outside agencies. Throughout the discussions, an outside moderator is ideal to guide the process. This approach is valued highly by most people connected with the product or service, and everyone tends to be interested in contributing their own ideas.

Getting Feedback from Others

The process helps generate ideas for business improvement and builds consensus within the team. There is general agreement that time spent on these discussions is time well spent. A second set of workshops can involve panels made up of experts drawn from the customer base. While most companies hold customer advisory board meetings once a year, this frequency is often insufficient. Additionally, people tend not to speak freely at formal meetings. In the era of new information technology, it is better for companies to communicate with their customer panels via email (Use Meetings and Conferences in Your Marketing Mix).

The discussions can cover topics ranging from new product ideas to advertising concepts. This kind of engagement can be made available around the clock at very low cost, and the speed of exchanging data can be as fast as two days, making it possible to conduct many types of surveys. This approach represents a new and unique method that helps change the traditional formula of marketing, with the aim of making the exercise more engaging for customers. Other methods that increase the value of marketing spend come from unconventional thinking. One example is the "I Love Lucy" parade organized by Nick at Nite, in which women dressed as the character Lucy paraded through New York City, generating a very large amount of publicity and awareness. A similar technique is regularly used by liquor companies, which place employees in different clubs to purchase rounds for other patrons and introduce them to the taste of new brands (Use Meetings and Conferences in Your Marketing Mix).

One effective system is to create a four- or five-person advisory board of outside experts who can be consulted on problems facing the company. These advisors should be briefed on the subject to be discussed and given a summary of the issue circulated before the workshop begins. This is not difficult, as most marketing professionals know four or five people who would enjoy meeting one another and sharing ideas. Much of the frustration that marketing executives experience arises from high and unrealistic expectations. Such expectations should be avoided, and realistic targets should be set in areas such as significant growth, brand differentiation, persuasion through advertising, and maximizing shareholder returns (Use Meetings and Conferences in Your Marketing Mix). The value of personal contacts is especially important for travel agents seeking to attract profitable clients, including small and mid-sized businesses (Snagging Those Small, Profitable Corporate Clients).

There are many aspects to a workshop or conference, and they all require proper planning, scheduling, and administration. All tasks, whether large or small, must be attended to. The first step is to develop a long-range plan for the entire program, along with completion dates for each activity. The next step is to book the venue and finalize the schedule for the event. Event management then involves the registration process, which includes collecting and processing registrations, sending pre-registration emails and confirmation letters, providing staff for the conference desk, and preparing registration packets containing the conference program, venue information, maps, restaurant recommendations, and sightseeing suggestions for delegates' free time.