Guest Blog Post by Dan Petrovic

Security planning is a crucial component of the event planning process, especially when the event involves a large number of people. Planning an event with no security has been tried before, and it often results in tragedy. The most famous example of an event that had a lack of security planning is the Altamont Free Concert of 1969.

The road manager of The Rolling Stones decided that the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club could handle keeping the crowd safe and away from the stage. The result was a violent night filled with extensive property damage, dozens of injuries, three accidental deaths, and one stabbing. Event security is certainly not something that can be made up on the fly and it requires careful planning.

Threat Assessment

Security planning takes careful consideration that depends on what kind of event is being planned, the layout of the facilities, and how many people are expected to attend. If the event is simply overwhelmed with security staff, this could negatively affect the image of the event, or inconvenience the people attending the event. By identifying potential threats, security can be focused on the areas that will most likely require their attention.

One way to do this is by creating a risk assessment matrix. A matrix can be created by looking at a past history of events and considering how likely incidents are going to happen again. For example, previous concerts might have had problems with audience members trying to rush the stage, so the stage area should be identified as a high risk area in the matrix.

If the parking area for an event is in a well-lit area with enough space for the free flow of traffic, that could be considered a low risk area. Planers should also try to picture the people that would benefit from the failure or disruption of the event, and how they might try to accomplish it.

Making the Plan

Once all threats are assessed, the next step is planning what staff and materials are needed to address each identified threat or risk. There are several components that should be considered in such a security plan.

The first component is deterrence, factors that would deter someone that would want to disrupt an event. Some components of deterrence could include lights and security cameras. If the deterrence is not enough, the next component is prevention, or how effectively an item or person would be when intercepting a security disruption.

Special barricades are made to handle crowds and these are more effective at keeping people in a designated area than simple caution tape. Another component to consider in a security plan is incident preparedness. Good incident preparedness includes having a clear evacuation plan if there is a fire or bomb threat, and having ambulances on stand-by in the case of a medical emergency.

Hiring the Right People

All good plans are worth nothing if they are not implemented by quality security staff. Some events might be secure enough with onsite security that’s already available; other events require hiring a professional security company.

Security personnel should also have experience working with similar types of events. Local emergency responders will be able to identify practical threats based on their experience and include strategies to deal with such threats in a security plan. Each staff member assigned to a certain duty should not just know what to do in their assigned area, but also the emergency incident plans.

All members of staff also need to be able to communicate with other members in case of a large scale incident. Since a good security plan will identify vulnerabilities, staff should be kept somewhat on a need-to-know basis regarding other specific plans.

In summary, the first step in implementing a security plan is to know the risks. Once that is done, the person in charge of event security needs to know how to address each risk and create a compressive security plan.

Make sure to hire well trained staff that knows the plan and can communicate effectively. With such a plan, even the most complex event will pass without any incidents.

Dan Petrovic is a marketing and security specialist from Australia. He writes articles on marketing and security for several blogs in his free time. He is currently working for Custom Lanyards as a consultant.

Nearly two years have passed since I wrote my first blog article about Hybrid Events, on McCurry’s Corner.  Since that time I have written more than thirty articles on the subject.  I have also managed, at some level, around a dozen Hybrid meetings, and attended nearly as many, as a remote participant.

I am fascinated by the evolution of technology and development of “next practices” (rather than best practices) that follows it.  In the Hybrid meeting space, one of the innovations that has bubbled to the surface has been the use of Virtual Hosts. (or Virtual Emcees)

A Virtual Host Defined!

Photo by Reflections Photography and courtesy of Meeting Professionals International (MPI)

For those of you not familiar with this term, a virtual host is an individual who’s job is to address the remote, or virtual audience at a Hybrid event.  Their ongoing mission is to engage remote participants, creating opportunities for them to interact with presenters and f2f attendees.

Interestingly, the use of virtual hosts/emcees is so new there is no entry in Wikipedia addressing the topic.  (Perhaps I should start one) 

Picking the right person to be your event’s virtual host is as important as the concept itself.  Two people who come to mind immediately, when I think about this subject, are Emilie Barta and Glenn Thayer.  They are both talented people, with a passion for broadcast video work.  And… they both light up the camera!

Emilie and Glenn are pioneers in the “Hybrid Events” world.  They each have their own unique, but equally effective style of doing their job. I asked Emilie and Glenn to share their thoughts on the value of a Virtual Host/Emcee.  Here’s what they had to say:

Emilie Barta — “The most important function of a virtual emcee is to be a conduit for the virtual audience and allow them to not only share in the experience, but to have an experience that is all their own.  You (Event Professionals) have a responsibility to your virtual audience, especially if you are charging them admission.

Virtual audiences pay attention to how they are treated, and are quick to point out if they are being ignored or taken for granted.  BUT if you have a virtual emcee who is always at attention, who is never scripted, and who goes out of their way to make the virtual audience feel welcomed, taken care of, and actively engaged in your hybrid event…you will have a virtual audience who increases the success of your event through word-of-mouth and social-media-sharing.”

Glenn Thayer — “A virtual host is the person that links the remote audience to the event itself. Not only does the virtual host relay information and report on happenings at the on-site event, they also act as the “voice” of the remote audience, asking questions and interacting with presenters and face to face participants on their behalf.”

Whether you refer to these professionals as virtual hosts or emcees is your choice.  What’s most important is their expertise will add significant value and depth to your next hybrid event.  Here’s why:

3 Reasons to Hire a Virtual Host

Engagement, Engagement, Engagement — One of the most difficult aspects of successfully executing a hybrid event is to continuously engage the remote (virtual) audience. If the right host is hired they will relentlessly work for you to accomplish that goal.

Get the F2F Audience & Presenters Involved — Before and after sessions, as well as during breaks, your virtual host may interview attendees and speakers.  They will facilitate a conversation with remote participants, interspersing their own journalistic perspective into the dialogue.

The Voice of the Virtual Attendee — During sessions, using Twitter and/or the live streaming platform your host will field comments and questions from the remote participants and share them with the f2f audience and presenter(s).

If your organization has taken the plunge into the hybrid meetings realm, you really should strongly consider adding a virtual host/emcee to the program.  While this support is going to impact your meeting budget, it is money well spent as the payoff will be attendee satisfaction and new customers.

Attendees will appreciate and remember your organization’s thoughtful approach to event design.  More importantly many of them will attend your next year’s conference in the flesh as a result of your great work!

Question:  If you are already utilizing a virtual host for your event, what are some other reasons you would recommend their use to other event professionals?  Please share with us!

It is both frightening and amazing to reflect on the magnitude of natural weather disasters which have occurred across the globe over this past year.  Collectively, these extreme weather events put into perspective the power of mother nature, and our relative inadequacy, as human beings, to predict, or prepare for them.

Joplin disaster:  Hitting Close to Home!

As a Chicagoan, the tornado catastrophe, which recently devastated Joplin, MO hit really close to home.  Adding to the impact of the damage that occurred is the fact that a friend of mine, Kiki L’Italien,  is actually a native of Joplin, born and raised there. (She, along with sister Kylee Coffman currently reside in the DC area)  Kiki and Kylee have both been impacted by this disaster, as they have friends and family that reside in Joplin, who were directly affected.

Kiki (left) & Kylee (right)

As you may know, Kiki is a thought leader, and social media guru, in the association world, as is her sister.  Amongst her accomplishments are she hosts her own online webcast, called “Social Media Sweet Spot” which occurs every Friday, at 11:30am CDT.

Kiki is also the moderator for the #ASSNCHAT Twitter Discussion group, an accomplished  blogger, and a public speaker at many meetings and events.  On a personal side, in my opinion Kiki is one of the nicest and most considerate people you will ever meet.

Watch this video clip, recently published by Kiki, with her take on the Joplin situation:

Online Community Works Together

One of the more interesting aspects of the Joplin disaster has been to watch the social media world respond.  Due to Kiki’s (and Kylee’s) strong online connections there has been a tremendous response from the online community.  One such connection, Lindsey Rosenthal, owner of EventsforGood, offered to help Kiki & Kylee organize a fundraiser to benefit victims in Joplin.

They (Kiki and Kylee) accepted Lindsey’s offer to help and are currently collaborating to put together an event on June 13, in the DC area to support the cause.  The details of that event, which has been tagged as “Show Me” Support For Joplin: A Red Tie Affair” can be found here.

“We have special visitors from Joplin who will share their stories and photos, we have Southern-style food with Joplin’s favorite dish, “Spaghetti Red” – PLUS we have music, music, music! Proceeds from this event are going to the Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity.”  — Kiki L’Italien

Here is a video, narrated by Kylee, introducing the fundraising event as well as capturing the impact of the disaster.

I am stunned by the kindness of everyone in the social media community as there has been a lot of marketing support and exposure to this event being shared across the realm.  Kudos to Lindsey for donating her talent and energy to help make this event happen!

Please do what you can to help!  If you have any questions about how to assist in this effort please contact Kiki L’Italien, Kylee Coffman, or Lindsey Rosenthal.  Or… you can comment below and I will help have someone respond to you.

Over my career, I have been coached by bosses, mentors, and colleagues that successful businesses build their business strategies upon best practices.

Business people have often considered introduction of a new best practice as thought leadership. My question is should business leaders focus on developing best practices, which are based upon the past, or should they be thinking ahead?

Looking Forward or Backward?

I’m not so sure that touting best practices equates to thought leadership.  It certainly is not innovation.  About three months ago I came across an article written by an Eventprofs colleague, Adrian Segar, that really resonated with me.  Entitled “Next Practices, Not Best Practices” his blog article very appropriately points out that Best Practices:

1. Are founded upon what has worked most successfully in the past.
2. Distract us from thinking about “Next Practices” or new ways of doing things for the future.

I think Adrian hit the nail on the head with those comments.  Make no mistake, I do believe there is a place in business for both.  I just believe the pace of business and the reality of rapid change are forcing businesses to continuously innovate.  To not do so is corporate suicide, as society has become too competitive to allow folks to rest on their business laurels for too long.

Next Practices Are All About Innovation

Interestingly, the concept of “Next Practices” is not a new one.  For fun I googled the term and immediately found pages upon pages of articles, going back several years, addressing this topic.  Here are some interesting nuggets from my research:

Dr. John Sullivan (HR Thought Leader), June 2006 – “Best practices only allow you to do what you are currently doing a little better, while next practices increase your organization’s capability to do things that it could never have done before. By jumping a level up to next practices, you’re taking a giant step in that you are actually creating your future recruiting capabilities, rather than relying on the innovation of others.”

Saul Kaplan (Founder, Business Innovation Factory), May 2009 — “It is not best practices, but next practices that will sustain your organization on a strong growth trajectory. While you continue to pedal the bicycle of today’s business model make sure that no less than 10% of your time and resources is dedicated to exploring new business models and developing next practices.”

C.K. Prahalad ( Harvard Bua. Review) April 2010 — “Organizations become winners by spotting big opportunities and inventing next practices … Next practices are all about innovation: imagining what the future will look like; identifying the mega-opportunities that will arise; and building capabilities to capitalize on them.”

Clearly, we are all doing business differently than we did a few years ago.  The economic climate, combined with continuously developing technology, and the impact of social media have opened the floodgates of innovation.  Businesses mostly have less dollars to spend, and have become more prudent in their choice of vendor partners.

One sure way to draw attention to your business is to find new and game-changing ways of delivering business value to your customers and prospects.  There is risk associated with trying new things, but the ultimate payoff could be huge.

Question:  Are you and your organization finding ways to build for the future that will resonate with customers?  Are you stuck in the benchmarking world, or are you stepping outside of the box and finding a new way to deliver value to your customers?  Tell us about it please!

Note: This is a re-tooled version of an article I originally published on the Experient e4 blog in July 2010.

Are you struggling with how to best utilize social technology to launch your event? Not sure which social applications are the best fit for your business scenario? Well you are not alone! Over the past couple of years many organizations have begun to introduce some aspect of social technology into their conferences. The problem is many are doing so without an implementation plan.

In the absence of a strategy there are no advance expectations, therefore no context for measuring results. Sadly, Executives, previously enthusiastic about using social technology, quickly abandon the idea claiming it is a waste of time (and therefore money) for their organizations.

A Trip To Nowhere!

Have you ever jumped in your car, with your suitcase, and a friend, and headed off on a vacation to some undetermined destination? While that idea might sound fun, or exciting, it’s not very practical. How do you know when you have arrived? Realistically how do you pack for that kind of trip?

You don’t have any advance notion of what attire will be appropriate, nor the climate you will encounter, or which activities you will do. Sounds silly and pointless doesn’t it? Well, think of this hypothetical vacation as an analogy that can be applied to utilizing technology for events, without an implementation plan.

Social Technology, like a vacation, is a great idea, but without a defined destination, (strategy) the results are blurry, risky, and often disappointing. There are no templates, or universal best practices for incorporating Social tools into a business setting. A “one size fits all” approach certainly does not work. Each organization must engineer a social technology event strategy centered around their desired business outcomes.

Crafting a Winning Social Technology Strategy

While many businesses may be seeking similar business results what makes each situation unique are the influences and personality of the people involved in the process. As customers impact most business outcomes it is critically important for businesses to understand their needs and preferred communication styles. When developing a technology strategy for launching your event you should consider the following questions:

Question One: How do my customers prefer to receive their information?

Do they prefer printed or electronic documentation? If your customers don’t read email or consume online content, then sending them information through those channels will be ineffective. As scary as it sounds there are some people that still opt to receive their information in printed format through the postal service. (AKA snail mail)

If online delivery of information is preferred, should it be automatic or on-demand? Do your customers prefer to receive conference updates automatically by Email, or would they rather control when and where they view their information? Posting information to a blog, or social network and then offering an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed subscription to readers is a common approach.

What type of device do they view online content with? Do they use a workstation or laptop, or do they use a mobile device most often, such as a smart phone or an Ipad?  Delivering communications in a format that is user friendly is paramount to successfully making your point.  What may look good on a laptop, or a workstation, might not be decipherable on a mobile device.  Be careful with design!

Question Two: Which Social Networks, if any, do my Customers use? You should have a conference presence in places where your customers socialize online. Investing time to understand their cyber habits will help you to tailor your social technology strategy appropriately.

Do attendees hang out on Facebook? If the answer is yes, creating a conference fan page might be an effective strategy. You can also create a “Facebook Event” announcement that customers can add to their online calendar. Facebook is a wonderful place for people to interact with one another, post pictures, links, videos, and audio files.

Are attendees active Twitter Users? You can create an “official conference Hashtag” for the event. The hashtag serves as a center for attendees to interact and share information with one another. You (or they) can also schedule chat sessions to discuss hot topics of interest. As a customer service hub for posting event information tweets and receiving/responding to questions you should setup an official Event Twitter account.

Are attendees active LinkedIn users? Initiate an Event group page there, where conference news, and collaborative discussions can take place. Session speakers/instructors can initiate pre-event dialogues with attendees to build excitement and anticipation for the event.

Using Social Technology, with a focused strategy, will assist your organization in effectively engaging its conference attendees well in advance of the event. The time invested, by your organization, in learning about its customers online habits, is the “payoff pitch” to a winning event experience, and greater customer loyalty.

Question: What Techniques do you use, with your organization, to heighten awareness during the pre-event phase of your meeting(s)? What components of your implementation strategy would you consider unique, or highly effective? Please share them with us!

Last week I published an article providing updated information regarding the ongoing Labor Reform challenges at McCormick Place (and Navy Pier) in Chicago.  Surprisingly (to me at least) the blog article sparked significant interest across the industry as it has received more than 700 click-throughs (hits).  (425 on Monday alone)

My blog post apparently also caught the attention of at least one Chicago Union Leader.  Frank T. Libby, President of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, contacted me to discuss his union’s view on this situation.  We had a good conversation.  At my suggestion Frank later added his thoughts to the comments section of the aforementioned blog article.

Frank questions why there aren’t “markup limits” imposed upon Show Contractors, who ultimately deliver inflated pricing to exhibitors, including for labor.  Great question!  He also feels the core issue hindering Chicago’s ability to compete with other first tier cities has to do with how McCormick Place is funded.

“The heart of the problem is that McCormick Place is at a serious financial disadvantage to our competitors in Las Vegas and Orlando to name just a few. Those convention facilities receive substantial financial commitments from their respective cities and states. Because of those large financial commitments they are better positioned to ensure lower overall costs to exhibitors. This is the number one problem that needs to be addressed and solved.” – Frank T. Libby, President, Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters

I contacted the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB) to provide them with an opportunity to weigh in on this topic.  At this time they have chosen not to officially comment on the situation, until the current legal review has run its course.  However, a resolution of this matter is high on their priority list.

Regardless of their viewpoints, all sides clearly have “skin in the game” and understand what’s at stake for the City of Chicago.  The undeniable truth is if this struggle is not resolved, fairly and equitably, everyone loses.  The city, the convention centers, the labor force, the contractors, and of course, customers, will all feel the pain.  No one wants that!

If the “stay” is denied, and Judge Guzman’s recent ruling (March 31) overturning some pieces of the 2010 legislation is upheld, some organizations who decided to hold their conventions in Chicago, based upon the labor reforms, may reconsider their choice of convention cities.  I sincerely hope that does not happen.

In his closing paragraph to his comments on my blog Mr. Libby stated, “I commit today—as I have in the past—that I am ready, willing and available to sit down with the state, the city, the MPEA (McCormick Place) and all other interested parties to begin a dialogue. A dialogue that must lead to real meaningful solutions to the financial issues at McCormick Place. The cost of failing to do so is too great.”

Amen to that!

This is a guest post written by Emily Breder.  Emily is the blogger and Relationships Manager for eEvent.com, a comprehensive event platform that helps events go viral on the web through tracking social sharing. A prolific writer and blogger on many topics, Emily also works with non-profits and local businesses, specializing in helping Baby Boomers adapt to new media.

With all the buzz going around about QR codes and creating more engagement at events, it’s no surprise that people like Mike McCurry are looking for more ideas on how to use them. He offered me this opportunity to guest post after I mentioned a QR scavenger hunt in a previous post he wrote.  So I tracked down someone who used this idea a few years back at the National Gymnastics Championship in Hartford, Connecticut, USA Gymnastics’ Director of New Media, Kent Koven.

‘Hide and Go Seek’ Hartford Game

QR codes were still at a relatively young stage of adaptation (still somewhat true today), so in order to have the analytics tracking that they wanted, they used Microsoft Mobi tags. “We sprinkled the tags all over Hartford in key spots related to the competition and accompanying convention,” Ken said.

“Hartford is a very ‘walkable’ city. On one end is the hotel, on the other side is the Visa Championships Arena where the camps were, and in the middle was the statehouse, a central hub for fan activities like autograph signings. The game created a path through the city to get more people active.”

Each tag had instructions on how to download the app, so that even the casual passer-by could participate. The introductory mobile web page asked for a name and email to enter into the game, which had prizes that ranged from tickets to major events to sponsored merchandise signed by gymnastics celebrities, all accompanied by Visa gift cards of varying amounts. Each tag was labeled with a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal, which indicated its point value.

The game was announced by the emcee throughout the week and at the end of it, the prizes were handed out. “It was a big surprise when we discovered that people had been doing it in teams,” Kent said. It makes sense, considering the fact that smartphones still only have about 30% adaption rate in the U.S., to make it a group activity, but they had simply stumbled across it. “The winners were laughing and swapping stories and tips when we handed out the prizes.” Kent said. USA Gymnastics is going to try something similar again this year.

Use QR codes to Create More Engaging Events

You’ll probably have to work with a mobile developer if you want the kind of comprehensive analytics that USA Gymnastics had, but the program itself shouldn’t be too complicated. Here are some pointers and ideas:

• Gamify: Use points so that people can track their own progress and compare with others.
• Follow the White Rabbit: Theme out your game with popular, recognizable elements that can become viral. Encourage creativity online and ask people to provide quotes and stories related to the theme.
• Easter Eggs: Just like in DVD’s, plant your QR codes in key points and reward/recognize those with ‘Insider Knowledge’.
• Workshop follow-up: If your event is educational in nature, have each class/workshop plant a few QR codes in key places with topical questions.
• Social Connect: If you do a trivia contest, for example, have the answers posted on people’s Facebook page, automatically tagged with the event’s Fan Page so that other people can follow along.
• Bring it back to the event: Again, and again. If you use points, offer badges for people to add to their name tags and give them special access and opportunities to engage with the big names at the event. Throw daily ‘gamify’ parties and have the speakers attend, with the VIP lounge gradually getting filled as the event progresses. This works better with multiple-day events.
• Start it before the event! Plant the codes on your website and offer an advantage to those who share and get other people to sign up. The application I blog for, eEvent, has a gamification system like this built in already, which tracks all the information for you across all social media platforms.
• Throw in some random elements. At the Hartford event, they had a few people walk around with t-shirts printed with tags. The pictures of people taking pictures of people adorned with tags, posted on Facebook or on other sites, are great for promotion and post-event blogging.

QR codes make it easy for event guests to have that often-elusive conversion from online to offline, and back again. Experiment, and let us know what happens!

In February I published an article recapping the exciting labor rules changes at McCormick Place and Navy Pier (MPEA), in Chicago.  These changes, which occurred with legislation passed by Illinois lawmakers, in 2010, were perceived by many in the Meetings and Events industry as game changing.

“As all observers of the convention and trade show business are aware, the implementation of those reforms has, virtually overnight, transformed McCormick Place. Not only were our existing customers convinced to keep their events in Chicago, but new shows have been rapidly signing up,” he said.” — Jim Reilly, MPEA Trustee

Sadly, it now appears that what was once considered a “done deal,” and a huge victory for Chicago Convention Business, is now open for further debate, in the court system.  On March 31, a US District Court Judge, Ronald Guzman, ruled on parallel cases filed by Teamsters Local 727 and by the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters.  The court’s judgement overturns some key pieces of the labor reform enacted in May.

So what does this mean exactly?  Well, I contacted Dawn Young, of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB), for some clarity regarding the latest developments.  According to Dawn, for their part, MPEA and the CCTB both believe the March 31st ruling is faulty.  MPEA filed an appeal recently as well as a “stay of execution.”  The two buildings are operating as they were prior to the judgement, pending further legal action.

What Are Potential Changes From Unions Legal Challenge?

On Monday, April 4th a webinar was hosted by MPEA and CCTB, led by David Causton, General Manager of McCormick Place.  A lot of really helpful information was shared during this event.  For any show organizer holding, or considering holding an event at McCormick Place, or Navy Pier, it is worth viewing the video recap of this event.

What may change with this ruling if it holds up?  Here is a summary, per my communication with Dawn Young, and the information provided on the video:

• Straight time labor — is currently expanded to apply during the hours of 6am – 10pm.  With the recent ruling it would revert back to a straight eight hour day.
• Booth Assembly — Exhibitors, regardless of booth size, are currently able to assembly their own booths if simple tools are used.  Simple tools are defined, in this context as ladders, hand tools and cordless tools.  That may revert back to a scenario where any booth larger than 300 sq ft. will require union labor.
• Exhibitor Vehicles — currently exhibitors are allowed to drive small utility vehicles directly on to exhibit hall docks for convention setups and tear-downs.  This would no longer apply.
• Labor Crew Size — Carpenters and Teamsters currently require a two-man crew.  This will change back to a three-man crew.  Note:  Effective January 2012 the Teamsters contract will reduce to a two-man crew, regardless of outcome here.

What Will Not Change?

It’s important to note that several aspects of the reforms enacted are not impacted by the aforementioned legal challenges.  These include cost savings programs in the following areas:

• Catering Food Service Cost – no building mark-up of pricing.
• Electrical Services —
  • unionized electrical contractors can now compete with McCormick Place in-house electric service provider… essentially a bidding process, maximizing cost savings.
  • In-house electricians are available at cost + benefits – no building mark up of pricing.
• Free WiFi Service — MPEA offers organizations complimentary WI FI throughout the convention centers, including common hallways, exhibit halls and meeting rooms.

This legal battle has put both MPEA and CCTB into an awkward position, as they were understandably not shy in publicizing the labor reform, to help draw business to the city.  Many Event Organizers have selected Chicago as their event site based upon the labor reforms.  It will be interesting to see what happens if MPEA is not successful in winning on appeal to these latest rulings.

Question:  Do you have a show scheduled (or considering it) to be held at an MPEA facility in Chicago?  If the unions win this battle will it impact your decision to choose/not choose Chicago as your destination?  Please share your thoughts with us.

Recently I have been doing a lot of research regarding QR codes.  I am really excited about this technology tool, as in my opinion the possibilities, for its use, are endless.

Courtesy of Marsid M & M group

Last week I published a blog article introducing my first ideas on how to utilize QR (quick response) codes, for meetings and events.  Interestingly, this article received the greatest number of hits, of any blog post I have written, since I started my blog in 2009.

Either my blog content generally stinks (I’m pretty sure that’s not true) or QR codes are a topic of significant interest to people.    There are a lot of statistics available that suggests their popularity is rising, but that’s for another discussion.

Enhance the Impact of Utilizing QR Codes for Your Next Event

I am hungry to learn as much as I can about the best approach for utilizing QR codes.  As I am acquiring new information I’m thinking about how it would apply to the meetings and events business.  Here are 8 starting tips to enhance the impact of utilizing QR codes for your next event:

#1: Develop a Strategy First – As with any other business initiative, you will be better served to determine upfront what your objectives are for using QR codes.  As my lovely friend Midori Connolly says “technology is just a toy unless you find a useful purpose for it.”

#2: Deliver Significant Value – Any QR code should contain some sort of call to action, and should deliver access to information that is useful, or valuable, to the person scanning it.  For example, place a QR code on a promotional poster, for a conference, pointing the user to the conference registration page is very helpful.  This allows attendees to conveniently register for the event from their smartphone.

Sending a customer to a webpage that is self-serving, boring, or pointless, will yield a negative result.  Make their time spent worthwhile.

#3: Optimize Content for Mobile Devices – When using a QR code to direct meeting attendees to a website make sure the site is mobile-optimized.  If you point them to a place they can’t see, or benefit from, you are wasting their time.

#4: Bigger is better – There’s a general rule that QR codes need to be at least an inch in size. QR codes can be any size, but the bigger, the better.  This is particularly true if meeting attendees will be scanning a code from a far distance.

One example of this would be a QR code posted on a projection screen. (let’s say for a speaker evaluation)  In this context a relatively large QR code will be beneficial, as then participants can scan it from across the room.

#5: Good Mobile Service Coverage – When planning use of the QR code be mindful of the location it will be utilized.  Put into perspective, posting an event sign, with an embedded QR code in it, in an area where cell phone service is unavailable would be completely useless.

#6: Test your QR codes!  – it is absolutely essential to test all QR codes before launching them.  Besides ensuring the code does what you intend, verify it can be easily scanned by participants. For instance, if you put the QR code up on a projection screen, make sure it can be scanned from where people will be viewing the screen.

Example Poster

#7: Include alternate access to the information provided – Remember, QR codes technology is still new, and some people are not able to utilize it yet.  Therefore it’s important to provide attendees alternative access to the information you are sharing.

For example, if you post a QR code on a promotional event marketing piece, accessing a website with important additional information, print the website URL directly beneath it. (see photo to right)

#8: Provide Education regarding Use of QR Codes – attendees will appreciate it if you provide some clear instructions, in a conspicuous place, (such as your conference website) on how to use this technology.  Post information on where to obtain QR code reader mobile applications.  For a listing of mobile applications please click here.

As with any new technology there is a lot of speculation as to whether QR codes will achieve mainstream adoption in the business world.  From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t see any reason why they won’t.

Question:  how do you see QR codes fitting into your event marketing strategy?  If you have already utilized them, for your conference, what type of feedback did you get from your participants?  Please share your comments below.

I really enjoy the story of King Arthur, and the Knights of the Roundtable. Watching a movie, or reading a story, based upon this legend, always energizes me. Although this story is based upon folklore, it offers a magical view of leadership and strategy.

According to medieval legend King Arthur was an amazing warrior. Smartly, he surrounded himself with incredibly talented knights. Each of these individuals earned his respect, and a seat at the roundtable, by distinguishing themselves in some noble way.  Much of Arthur’s legendary success, as a leader, and Camelot’s stature, as a powerful Kingdom, was attributed to the combined strategic planning efforts of those seated at the Roundtable.

“As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status.” — Wikipedia, on the concept of Arthur’s roundtable

Have you ever wondered why you find yourself playing a tactical, or reactive role with your (internal or external) customers?  Are you delivering services in response to direction provided by them, when you could have produced more positive results by leading the way?

Timing Is Everything with Business Communications

These are common business challenges, and they can be inhibitors to your level of success, as an influencer.  As the saying goes, “timing is everything” and, if you are finding yourself in this position frequently, then it may be time to consider adjusting your approach towards business communications.

In this world there are people who are knights (leaders), and there are commoners  (followers).  If you wish to attain knighthood, then you must act proactively.  In the meetings and events business there is a planning cycle, as we all know.  You must get in front of that cycle, if you wish to influence the development of the strategic event plan.

Earn a Seat at the Strategic Event Planning Roundtable

So what’s the solution?  How does one get a seat at the “strategic event roundtable”?  How do you play a strategic role in helping customers make the best decisions regarding their event’s direction?  How do you become their “trusted adviser”?  Here are some thoughts.

Ask for the Seat – first and foremost you must ask for the opportunity to participate in the strategic planning process. In this case “ask and ye shall receive” does not necessarily apply.  You must offer some compelling reasons why your participation will yield a valuable benefit to the process.

Earn Their Trust– Do your homework.  Seek to understand all aspects of the organization’s business objectives for their event.  Talk to key members of the planning committee. Visit the event website to search for any clues that will provide you insight.

Act with Nobility– your actions will speak louder than your words.  Provide strategic advice, and assistance, when the opportunity presents itself.  Demonstrate integrity in all that you do!

Evangelize Your Ideas– If you have a unique perspective, or a cutting-edge idea, that will bring value to the planning process, present it enthusiastically, frequently, and with factual information supporting its value.

The average business person does a reasonably good job of responding to customer requests and requirements.  Individuals that nobly distinguish themselves, as strategic partners, will lead their customers along the path of success, leaving everyone else in the dust.  What will you settle for?

Question:  In your business relationships do you see yourself as a knight, or a commoner?  If you are seated at your customer’s roundtable, what propelled you there?  I look forward to your comments.