From events to impacts: how to achieve more sustainably at your events

With the following 6 points, you can increase your "Return on Event" (ROE): 1. It doesn't always have to be caviar Perhaps the target audience of your events regularly and sufficiently already receives exactly what you intended to offer. Make sure to provide something extraordinary, something special: at an event, the participants preferred the wooden hut in the mountains without electricity and water over the 5-star hotel in the valley with a 5-course dinner & caviar. This way, your creative choice will remain memorable with the participants – of course, it should be suitable for the target audience. 2. Consider national and corporate culture Some national and corporate representatives want to celebrate more or less extensively; according to Prof. Hofstede, the Chinese have a lower inclination for indulgence compared to Austrians. And as it is known, corporate culture not only eats the corporate strategy for breakfast but also the events. 3. Less is sometimes more In all the events I have organized and experienced so far, I have never had the feeling of "Is there more to come?". On the contrary, often both I and others were rather overwhelmed than underwhelmed by the amount of information, show elements, as well as food & drinks... with the problem that little sticks due to the overload. 4. Play the brain right and especially convince the heart In addition to avoiding the classic information overload, it is essential to achieve more motivation and new behavioral changes by making the participant realize "What is in it for me?", i.e. recognizing the benefits for themselves and their customers. This works best when these valuable benefits are not "read out," but rather developed together in modern formats such as bar camps, hackathons, or world cafes. 5. Offer digital added value Despite having an average age of 73 years, the Rolling Stones asked their fans on social media during their last year's No Filter tour which song sequence they should play at the concerts (a personal "Meet & Greet" was the prize). This not only generated high visitor numbers on Facebook and Instagram but also a high level of involvement from the target audience (not just concert attendees). Creatively utilize various digital channels before, during, and after events to provide added value. 6. Stay tuned, stay tuned, stay tuned During and after the event, check the reactions of the participants: how are the satisfaction surveys, how positive is the word of mouth within the company, which posts, photos, or videos are shared on the intranet, company blog, or social media. And last but not least, staying tuned also means evaluating the results or the company's success after an event, which only every 13th company actually implements.