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3 things to consider when planning a conference

Conferences are great for bringing a large group of people together to discuss and learn about certain topics. They are sometimes held over a few days, or even just within a few hours. Either way, there’s always plenty to think about when planning one.

Here are our top three things to consider when planning a conference:

Venue

Conferences tend to be larger scale events, so it’s a good idea to research venues that will cater to your needs in terms of size, amenities and style. You might need separate rooms or sections for break out sessions, or just one big hall to present in. Make sure the venue is appropriate for your conference, that it speaks to the style and theme you want to present, and that it is convenient enough for guests to get to by car or public transport.

Sponsors

Having sponsors who pay to feature at your conference can really help with costs. You might have a few different sponsorship options and levels available, or just one or two main ones, and sponsors may be granted exclusivity or a chance to present at the conference. It’s entirely up to you and the needs of your conference when determining how deep the sponsorship relationship goes, but don’t be too shy when seeking sponsorship income as sponsors can be a huge support during this time.

Audiovisual support

A great conference relies on great AV support. Work out what you need in terms of AV – such as microphones, lighting, staging, monitors, teleconferencing capabilities, or video access for virtual attendees. Many venues have an in-house AV team, such as AVPartners, and are able to make your conference AV needs for sound, lighting and audio smooth and professional!

If you’d like some more information on planning your next conference, contact us today!

Event trends you need to know about

Are you planning to hold an event next year? If so, you’re probably hoping that it’s an interesting and engaging one, and that everyone has a great time. One thing to consider when it comes to planning interesting events is what is ‘on trend’ at the time.

There are so many unique ways to impress your guests and give them a talking point during and after your event.

Here are our favourite event trends for 2017:

Creative catering

Unique catering is a great way to stand out and impress, and you can also use it to brand your event. Elements such as signature cocktails using your brand’s colours, or desserts with edible rice paper logos or messages on top, are interesting ways to get creative with catering.

The extreme dessert trend is likely to continue into 2017, with dessert walls (think donuts and Nutella) becoming part of the decor!

Personalisation

People want more than the standard cookie-cutter event, so they’re looking for more personalised options when they scout their venues and plan their events. The possibilities for personalisation are endless, with more simple things such as personalised email or app communications to guests through to more complex data driven elements such as tailoring events to the individual based on their reactions on social media.

According to a study by Eventsforce, personalisation is a key priority for 82% of event planners, with 97% saying they believe that event personalisation can change a guests perception of your brand or event.

Audiovisual technology also plays a huge part in personalisation of events. Lighting effects, colours and staging options can all contribute to a more tailored event. At AVPartners we pride ourselves on fully understanding our client’s event and design briefs so that we can deliver on a completely unique and successful event.

Digital interaction

More and more we are seeing that event planners are embracing digital channels to reduce costs, to be more environmentally conscious and to better engage guests. There are so many interesting ways to deliver information at your event digitally rather than expecting guests to take notes constantly or handing out paper. Examples include leveraging an event app, providing a digital handout via files made available on a USB or having notes delivered by email.

Video content

We all keep hearing that video is the future, and in 2017 we will see a greater role for video at events. One example of where video is being used effectively is through the live-streaming of events. This is where an event is filmed and delivered to online viewers in real time, so that they don’t miss out and can be part of the action as it unfolds. Usually this footage can then be packaged up and shared on a business’ website or social media, or used in-house.

It’s important to note that you don’t need to go overboard with event elements to create an impact. Choosing just one or two ideas and exploring how they can meet your business and event needs will be enough to impress.

Talk to us to start planning your 2017 events!

The benefits of a team building event and how to plan one

Team building is vital to the success of your organisation. When you have a team that appreciates and respects each other, they will likely be more productive, efficient and happy. What’s not to love? A team building event is a great way to deliver on your team building goals and enhance the overall performance of your team.

The benefits

Team building events give employees the chance to test out their teamwork skills and have fun by engaging in activities or challenges together. Each person starts the day on the same level as everyone else, despite where they may sit in the organisation, with a task at hand and a novel approach to it. Everyone has the chance to be heard, have fun, and draw on skills they may not have had an opportunity to showcase within their workplace role. These events are also a great way for your team to form better relationships with each other, and truly bond over common ground.

The objective

When planning a team building event or activity, it’s best to determine a goal or objective before you begin. Knowing what direction you would like your team to go in, and what you want everyone to get out of the day, will assist you in choosing appropriate activities and venues.

Usually, team building events or activities aim to provide fun and boost morale, or they aim to solve a problem or a communication breakdown within the workplace. This is achieved by getting everyone out of the work environment and allowing them to relax and get to know each other better in a new setting. This can help people to open up to new experiences and can lead to a better understanding of each other. Additionally, tackling a workplace problem outside of the usual domain can reveal a new perspective on the issue, and potentially, how it can be solved.

Things to consider

Ensure that the activity chosen is appropriate for your team and workplace. A wine and cheese tasting or a trivia night are great options for fun casual events where the goal is to relax and socialise. If you want to take things up a notch, you could arrange a CSI night, where your team works to solve a ‘murder’, or a casino or games night where everyone can let their hair down and mingle with their colleagues. If the aim is to create greater team cohesion, activities such as ‘escape rooms’ or interactive matrix style mazes really test people and require them to pool their strengths to get out of the game.

More ideas for your next team building event include cooking workshops, live drawing, community service, bowling, and outdoor sporting activities such as bootcamp, rock climbing or rowing. These can all be fun activities, but you might find that some are better suited to your team than others.

At AVPartners we love supporting team building events to bring your team closer together! It’s important to think about what technology will be required to make your event a success – from getting the lighting and sound right, through to ensuring you have the right projection screens, or even considering what app technology you can leverage to strengthen communication and engagement – technology can often make or break an event.

When dividing your team into groups, keep the group sizes to a maximum of 10. This will mean that each group member can be fully engaged and it’s far more manageable than larger groups, where people tend to detach themselves.

Keep the momentum rolling after the event by setting action plans at the end of the day for everyone to take back to work with them. This could include making sure employees say hi to a new friend made that day, or keeping tabs on the progress of solved problems. These actions can ensure the team building event has a lasting and meaningful effect.

Keen to bond your team together with a team building event? Contact us today and we’ll show you how!

Why hold an event?

Events are a great way to bring people together, and share a moment, message or idea with a captive audience. They do, however, take considerable time, effort and organisation to execute successfully.

When deciding whether to hold an event, the first step should be to ask why you’re holding the event. This will help you get to the heart of whether an event will be valuable and help you achieve your goals. Here are some of the common reasons organisations hold events.

To build brand awareness

Events bring people together at the one location at the one time, giving you focussed time you can utilise to build brand awareness around your business with target audiences. You might make a presentation highlighting your services, or hold a workshop that builds on your thought leadership, making you a respected and trusted person within your industry.

To humanise the business

It’s usually quite fun and interesting to meet the people behind certain brands, so make sure you give your customers or clients what they want by introducing yourself and letting them know that there are real people in your business. It’s also a good time to thank customers and clients for their support, and offer to answer any questions they have or help them in some way if you can. People buy from people, so make sure your business is real and authentic.

To provide networking opportunities

Events are a great way to expand your connections, gain new clients, customers or referrals, and also to show your existing customers or clients what else you can offer them. It’s also an excellent way to meet like-minded individuals in your industry, and you never know where those relationships may lead!

To fundraise

For not-for-profit and charity organisations events are a perfect way to do drive fundraising efforts. They offer a controlled and focussed environment for you to spread the word and incite empathy and curiosity in attendees.

To launch a new product or service

New products or services are a cause for celebration! Events can allow you to inform guests of this, offer demonstrations, or give away samples. It gives your potential customers a chance to interact with your product or service in person, and in a fun and upbeat atmosphere.

To recognise and reward

Awards ceremonies are a very common type of event to hold, and a fantastic way to recognise your team or others for their hard work. Recognition is always appreciated, and usually makes for a more loyal team.

To offer a face-to-face communication experience

Too often in this digital world, we lose that personal, human interaction. While the internet has opened up a world of possibilities, the feeling of being in front of someone; having a conversation and sharing a laugh, can’t really be replicated online.

So, now that you know some of the reasons and benefits of holding events, you might be wondering just what type of event suits your business. Events vary in style, size and outcome, but some common event types include a sit down dinner, a fundraiser, an awards ceremony, a cocktail party, or a conference. You might like to read more about which events really engage your customers or clients, or how to know which conference type suits your business.

Once you’re ready to start planning your event, ensure you have a solid timeline in place. For tips on this, check out how long it takes to plan an event.

At AVPartners, we love to help bring your event dreams to life! Speak to us today and let us know your ideas.

Media Release: AVPartners wins audiovisual contract at Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort

Following a competitive tender process, AVPartners has been appointed as the in-house audiovisual provider for the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort; providing audiovisual support for meetings, incentives, conferences, and events at the five star venue.

Based in Queensland’s beautiful Noosa, Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort is a premier 176-suite resort.

A world class MICE destination, the venue boasts over 720 square metres of event space, seven meeting rooms, and the Noosa Ballroom with capacity for 350 delegates theatre style and 180 guests banquet style. The outdoor terrace also provides a perfect setting for exhibitions and launches.

Wireless connectivity and state-of-the-art technology contribute to Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort’s reputation as a smart meeting venue with a modern luxurious feel.

The AVPartners designated Partner at Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, Andrew Delangen said, “Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort provides an impressive event experience combining a spectacular location, a commitment to luxury and modern event facilities. We’re thrilled by the opportunity to make our mark on events at this great venue.”

Mark Wilkinson, General Manager at Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort said, “Having worked with AVPartners previously at Novotel Twin Waters Resort and Sofitel Gold Coast, I know first hand how AVPartners consistently adds value through truly creative and smart audiovisual solutions. I look forward to partnering with them once again to deliver unique and successful events.”

Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort further builds on AVPartners’ AccorHotels presence in Queensland, joining leading venues in the state including Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach, Sofitel Brisbane Central and Novotel Twin Waters Resort.

How to choose the right venue for your event

Choosing the right venue for your event is crucial to its overall success.

Once you know the type of event you are planning, and how many guests you intend to invite, you will have an idea of the type of venue you’ll need. Be sure to also consider the theme and style of the event, and that the venue reflects this along with the guests expectations.

Once you’ve got the logistics sorted, you will be armed with enough information to start researching venues. When it comes to choosing a venue, consider the following:

Location

The event location needs to form the basis of your decision making. Make sure the location is accessible by transport and has good parking access, along with accommodation particularly if the event goes over a few days. Ensure that the venue is in a location that is sensible and accessible for the majority of your guests to get to, an element of excitement about the venue always helps too.

Catering

Food is such an important element to any event, so whether you choose to have canapes, a sit down meal, or a cocktail option, make sure the venue can offer what you want. Find out what specialties the chef can provide that can give your event a point of difference. Always ensure you have catered for any special dietary requirements of your guests too.

Atmosphere

How the venue or event space looks and feels is a big part of an event atmosphere, and the message you want to convey. If you want to impress guests at a gala dinner with modern decor and a sophisticated ambience, you will need to look at more contemporary venues.

Services and accessibility

Consider your event audience and who are you are targeting, be it families, corporates, or gender specific events, and try to pick a venue that would best support their needs or expectations. For example, families may need access to baby change rooms, or children’s entertainment and enough room for children to run around in, whereas corporates would be expecting an up-market bar service or cocktail party. Be sure to also consider the ease of access to the event space for anyone with special needs, this includes parking, distance to walk, amenities, and ramp access.

Size and capacity

Your expected guest numbers will give you a good idea about the size of venue or event space you should be looking for. Many venues have a selection of spaces of varying sizes, and it will also change based on the type of event you are having, for example a sit down or standing cocktail style event.

Technology access

Ensure that the venue will be able to handle the audiovisual requirements for your event. Many venues will have an in-house AV team, such as AVPartners, who are able to make your lighting, sound and visual ideas come to life! This might include anything from setting up a stage and microphone for speeches, to a colourful and brightly lit ballroom with your logo projected onto the walls.

Make sure you visit the venue personally to see it for yourself, and to put yourself in the shoes of your guests. At AVPartners we couldn’t be more excited to show event planners through our venues, and to let them experience our state of the art technology first hand.

Contact us today to see how our venues can make your event a success.

How sponsoring an event can help your business

Sponsoring an event can be beneficial for a business trying to build brand awareness and reach a targeted pool of customers. Event sponsorship is a mutually beneficial agreement between an event organiser and event sponsor. Although there are many different types of event sponsorships, generally they involve an investment by the sponsor into the event which leads to brand affiliation and publicity opportunities for the sponsor.

Event sponsors benefit from marketing and promotional efforts leading up to and during the event, they can build brand loyalty through association with highly credible events, and can often tap into a targeted market that is suited to their business goals. Event organisers can benefit from lower event costs and better credibility through association with large brands.

Why get a sponsor for your event?

For event organisers, event sponsorship can help alleviate some of the prohibitive costs that come with event planning. This may involve a cash sponsorship or an in lieu sponsorship. For example, finding a food or alcohol company to sponsor your event may involve the provision of food and drink, or a print sponsor can cover the costs of printing programs and flyers.

Why sponsor an event?

Event sponsorship is a great marketing strategy for businesses large and small. For up and coming companies, sponsorship agreements which showcase a business’ products or services are a great opportunity to build brand awareness and acquire new customers. For larger brands, sponsorship can be a great opportunity to build brand loyalty and credibility. A common type of sponsorship agreement for large brands is the sponsorship of an event which targets their customers. This type of agreement helps bind larger brands with their customers, in turn building brand identity. Event sponsorship is also a great opportunity for brands to sample new products or services at a lower cost than retailing.

How to choose the right event to sponsor

A few questions to ask prior to signing a sponsorship agreement include: Who will be attending the event? What can we expect to get out of the agreement? Are there other sponsors involved in the event? And if so, how might they impact our sponsorship goals?

It is paramount to consider how the agreement will benefit your business, and it’s equally important to try to measure expectations. If your intentions are to build brand awareness and brand loyalty through the sponsorship agreement, your business should ensure that the demographics of the guests attending the event are akin with your target audience. It is also highly important to ensure that the event’s messaging is aligned with your company values. Another thing to consider is whether there might be a conflict of interest between your business and other sponsors.

If you would like some more information on event sponsorship, get in touch with us today.

 

How attending events can impact your business

Attending an event can make such a positive impact on your business and brand. In this day and age, we often overlook the importance of being in a live environment, and interacting with people face-to-face. It’s important that while attending events, you utilise this time for your brand and business, and you’re not just a fly on the wall.

Being active at events can bring your business many benefits. Some of the most positive impacts from attending events include:

Networking

While networking can be a bit of a buzzword, the act hasn’t lost it’s charm. Most people attending events have similar goals and are likely to be interested in networking as well. It can be really refreshing to connect with people in your industry that you can help or who can help you in some way. You never know who you’ll meet or what collaborations may come of it!

Changing up your routine

Attending events and putting your business out there is a great way to shake things up and inject some life into your team. The day to day of business can get mundane at times, so it’s nice to let off some steam and change up your normal patterns.

Showing your brand to the public

Events are a great way to showcase your brand and services to the other guests. You may be well-known, in which case an event can be a great time to humanise your brand, or you may be just starting out, which means people can get to know you straight away. People do business with people, so show them that you’re real and that you have passion for what you do.

Educational opportunities

No matter how much you know about your industry, there is always something to learn, even if it’s in a general sense. A lot of events have fantastic educational components and can leave you with a lot of great ideas to implement.

Above all, don’t forget to have fun! The event may be business related but that doesn’t mean you can’t relax and enjoy yourself. You’ll be far more approachable that way too.

Excited to plan your next event and impress your guests? Talk to us today.