Planning your company’s events strategy takes a considerable amount of effort. Mapping out a year’s worth of event marketing initiatives involves meticulous planning, and 2023 will be no exception.
Next year is the year to get it right. As more companies adopt a combination of live, virtual, and hybrid events, it’s more important than ever to have a robust event strategy plan.
Thankfully, event professionals like Reimagined Experiences specialize in detailed planning. In this article, we’ll cover how to create the ultimate events strategy for 2023.
Looking Back to Plan Ahead
Adaptability was the key to an effective events strategy both during the pandemic and as the world began to reopen. Between COVID-19, inflation, and supply chain issues, seemingly countless circumstances have dramatically reshaped the landscape of event marketing.
In 2023, event marketing will be more important than ever, so it’s crucial to learn and adapt to the key changes that have stemmed from these challenges.
Live, Virtual, and Hybrid
Companies that relied on in-person events strategies have been forced to sink or swim over the past three years. During the onset of the pandemic, due to safety concerns inherent with live events, the world moved suddenly and completely to virtual meetings. Event professionals with little or no experience organizing virtual gatherings were tasked with the massive responsibility of quickly transitioning their events strategies to a digital model.
Now, however, event professionals have had time to adjust to this new way of hosting. This means that 2023 is shaping up to be an important year in the events space. We’ve had time to learn what works and what doesn’t. We’ve innovated our approach to event strategy and have a more comprehensive view of what events can look like today.
Live, virtual, and hybrid event models are here to stay. According to a Bizzabo survey, 68% of marketers plan on incorporating a virtual element into their events in the coming year. After years of practice, 2023 is predicted to be a monumental year for virtual events and live events with a virtual touch.
2023 Strategic Planning: What to Include in Your Event Strategy Plan
Attendees have waited years for the return to in-person events and, thanks to technology, events are now more accessible to anyone no matter their geographic location. This means that your company’s strategic planning for events needs to be well thought out.
Here’s what you need to include in your event strategy plan to deliver a branded experience your attendees won’t soon forget.
Smart Goals
SMART is an acronym that stands for:
S – Specific
M- Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Timely
SMART goals should aim toward a specific outcome, not a general one. For example, a specific goal would be to contact 25 potential venues each month. A non-specific goal would be to raise more money at your annual fundraiser.
The desired outcome of your organization’s initiatives should be measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. You should be able to quantify exactly what your organization wants to achieve, and it must be within the realm of possibility. Have a time frame for the goal as well to move the process along.
Audience Research
To truly captivate your audience, you’ll need to know as much as you can about them. This includes knowing what they actually want.
Get active on social media and identify your audience’s feelings and experiences. Ask questions and tell stories. This will help you build an events strategy that truly delivers what they’re hoping to get from your event.
Engaging Content
Event marketers have been saying this for years: Content is king. Especially video.
Video is an exceptionally effective mode of storytelling. It has the power to truly captivate your attendees and move them in a way that a blog post probably can’t. It’s in your company’s best interest to invest in video content creation for events.
Clear Budget
When it comes to budgeting for your event, the devil really is in the details. It’s important to be conservative when estimating how much things will cost. Costs typically add up quickly and seem to come from nowhere.
No matter what kind of event you’re organizing, setting a highly detailed budget lays a solid foundation for your events strategy.
Strong Hybrid or Remote Backup Plan
As we’ve stated before, virtual events are here to stay—at least in some capacity. If there’s anything a global pandemic has taught event professionals, it’s that having a hybrid or remote backup plan in the event of an emergency is crucial.
Don’t skip this part of your strategy. Nobody knows what might happen tomorrow, and unforeseen challenges will always pop up, even with the height of the pandemic behind us. Having a strong backup plan ensures that your event can still go on in the face of a crisis.
Gearing Up for Your 2023 Events Strategy
Event professionals and attendees alike are already anticipating next year’s events. After years of virtual events, audiences are more than ready to attend long-awaited live gatherings. Now you’re aware of the increased importance of having a comprehensive events strategy and you have specific criteria to include while planning.
Reimagined Experiences has been at the forefront of live, hybrid, and virtual experiences for the past 25 years. We’re actively reimagining what events should look like and how they should be experienced. During the pandemic, we took virtual events and ran with them. With high-quality video content at the core of what we do, we successfully navigated the pandemic and facilitated captivating virtual experiences for our clients.
All this to say: we know what we’re doing. Interested in seeing how you could reimagine your business’s approach to events? Feel free to reach out here and schedule a complimentary call to get started.
