There are two types of planners. The first type gets an assignment and decides on a series of logistical options to make the meeting happen. These planners fill an important function, and their work will always be needed. Every live meeting or event needs a venue, a room, a layout, a design and appropriate food, beverages, and accessories. This is an extremely valuable role, as it executes and implements plans.
The second type of planner has a very different job. These planners make it their responsibility to raise the assignment, the event, their own positions, and even the profession itself to the next level. They are concerned with fulfilling strategic objectives.
Accordingly, they are concerned with flow and feel, with impact and return on event (which combines ROI, return on investment, and ROO, return on objectives), rather than just a look. They nudge their way into the corporate culture to participate at the highest level possible to earn the trust and respect of senior management and to appeal to the needs and emotions of attendees. They know it takes more than logistics to produce events that engage attendees. They defend, promote, and budget bringing on a strategic event designer to brand and create the interactive experiences that hit all the touch points and messaging.
The strategic planners make it their responsibility to deliver a meeting or event that inspires and motivates to the point of effectively communicating the intended message and increasing the chances of achieving the intended business result. They need a village! As in the productions of a film, a play, or photo shoot, they know it takes a team to work together.
Whatever your role, do the best job you can and support the growing awareness of true strategic meeting and event design.
Titles of the Future
In the context of different types of planners, let’s think about different ideas for titles. At a conference about five years ago, I asked a room of senior planners to name some titles for the future: given your role, what would you call yourself and what would you call others around you? Here is a sampling (presume the director title is followed by manager and coordinator roles).
Director of Planning and Logistics
Director of Creative and Styling
Director of Experiences
Director of Visual Dynamics
Director of Sensory Engagement
Director of Risk Management
Director of Design and Flow (Kinetic Engineering)
Leave a comment below to let me know some that you can think of, or that you are.
Dianne Devitt
I am the proud daughter of a New York Police Department detective who worked in crime prevention and safety for his entire career. My father, Larry, dedicated his life to educating people in the East New York section of Brooklyn on crime prevention and, as a result, we were influenced at home on precautions and the value of anticipating what could go wrong to address it ahead of time. What I didn’t realize at the time was how this training would affect my career in meetings and events.
Years later, on a site visit for a prestigious board of directors meeting, I was accompanied by the corporate director of security. He commented at the time that the questions I asked were questions that he would ask. He also told me that he was impressed, and that his understanding of the role of an event planner was expanded when he realized how deep the planner delves into safety and security before addressing any logistics or design. It’s learning what not to do that guides decisions to any successful meeting or event.
Risk management is a critical part of the design process. Risk management means understanding what guidelines need to be followed and what rules need to be adhered to. Risk management connects to design, because it establishes a carefully orchestrated chain of command as well as a sequence of events that is vital to the success of the event.
What you can’t do filters what you can do. It is always best to learn this upfront from local and destination experts and build the experience around all. In a meeting, the sense of security allows for interaction and open networking. Here are nine questions to ask with regard to risk management and planning:
1. Does the activity you are planning require a permit or license? Have you allowed ample time to secure these documents?
2. Do you understand the venue guidelines, destination restrictions, and local laws that might affect your plans?
3. What communication devices are you using, and how will you ensure there are no or minimal breakdowns? (For example, at an event when Air Force One landed, all walkie-talkie radio communication went down within a certain radius.)
4. Who is the director of security?
5. What is the procedure to follow in the event of an emergency? For your staff, for your client?
6. Have you planned a pre-meeting emergency meeting?
7. If badges are involved, how are you best designing them for ID and for staff to be able to quickly see which credentials an attendee has, and which areas are open to that attendee?
8. Have you created a physical list of your staff/team/vendors with their names and an emergency contact name and number? (We ask our vendors to supply an emergency name and number and make a master.)
9. When there are layers of security involved, who is the decision-maker? Keep this person at your side (or assign a staff person to them for your access).
At the end of the day, our ultimate responsibility is safety and security. As important as having your plans in place is communicating to attendees and guests. As it happens, I recently experienced a communication breakdown related to security. (Perhaps it was just too big an event.) Here’s what happened:
I was one of the fortunate to be invited to Madison Square Garden for the Papal Mass in September. We arrived at 2:15 p.m. (guidelines instructed guests to arrive between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.). We were told to go to the end of a line to enter. Strange, but obviously a security issue, I told myself, watching the police, Secret Service, CIA, TSA, and hordes of undercover agents.
We finally arrived at the end of the line—literally 23 New York City blocks from the entrance—and waited for 3.5 hours to enter MSG. MSG can service thousands of people in minutes, as they efficiently do for games and other events. This time, though, there was so much security that I truly believe we were forgotten. The shame of this is that 23 blocks of people, more than 10,000 of us, missed the pre-Mass concert and activities because too much security was involved and it was obvious that no one was listening to the other.
This planner knows there is more, maybe that’s why a rainbow appeared in the sky to offer all hope and patience. Mass was a moving experience with no incidents and for that, I am grateful. All in a day’s work.
Dianne Devitt
You know if you have it. You know if someone else has it. And, you know if some places and things have it. In the world of style, you either have it, or you don’t. Many of you may have been told that your meeting and events are different and no one can explain why. I say, it is because you understand how to balance the sensory experience.
In the world outside of meetings and events, sense marketing has gained popularity through the growing field of scent marketing. You may be aware that many hotels and public spaces are fast learning that scent recall is far more accurate than other forms of advertising. The caveat here is that the scent must match the brand. Something masculine would not pair with a more feminine brand. Because the brain processes smell in conjunction with emotion, memory, and learning, we are more than 85 times more likely to remember something through scent, as it is connected neurologically in our brain.
Styling the Experience
In theatrical design, there are two style categories related to décor: realism and symbolism. Realism refers to the goal of creating an environment that closely resembles an actual setting with great attention to detail and nearly exact reproductions of key elements. Symbolism is the discipline that focuses on the imagination first and physical objects second: actors may gesture where a wall is to be, or a cube may stand in for a stepping stone, a sofa, or a car. Realism is natural; symbolism is imaginative.
In events, we need both. Realism keeps an event anchored to a specific theme, while symbolism liberates the imagination and awakens a sense of play and engagement. Décor, food, beverage, lighting, audiovisual, music, entertainment, and speakers are among the planner’s style tools. They are the different paint colors available on your palette to style a meeting or event, to design an experience.
First and foremost, of course, identify the level, demographics, and experience of your group. These will determine where the focus should be and what sense or senses are in play.
Here are 10 thoughts for a planning project focused on the sense of sight:
1. Choose a destination, hotel or venue that complements the group's dynamics.
2. Ensure the venue is visually compatible to the meeting theme.
3. Invest in designing an effective graphic (a picture speaks a thousand words).
4. Consider using hard-copy invitations. The look and feel of the paper in addition to the personalized touch reaps benefits in how a person reacts and responds.
5. Plan on a visually stimulating element on arrival—outside, if possible. The first impression on site must match the promise of the invitation, which will have embedded a visual image in participants’ minds.
6. Find a way for the staff and team to dress to complement the visual experience.
7. Give attention to the room setup. Sometimes turning a table from a square to a diamond opens energy flow and is visually balanced.
8. Open opportunities to add accents in a meeting room to enhance the branding experience without being distracting.
9. Understand the participants’ profiles and select which visuals will have the most impact in décor and design choices.
10. Focus visual attention on one element if a budget is limited or the room is large.
And one more thing to remember: It is not just what you have, but how you use it that matters. Effectively using the senses in meeting design need not be affected by budget constraints!
Dianne Devitt
Meeting planners know the feeling of standing alone in an empty, vast ballroom in the early morning hours before the sun rises or at night long after the last participant duly exits. There is something captivating that envelopes you—that sound of silence when looking out into space.
Think about space in today’s world. We live in physical places, communicate in digital places, explore outer space, and virtually visit places in the space in our minds. Above all, we continue to reach for that space within our body and soul, that place of balance. As more and more millennials enter the work space, they are searching for a physical sense of place to belong in society and work, having grown up in a digital space.
The sense of place is pervasive; it speaks to you in the silence of the room, in the silence of your mind. If silence speaks, then what should we listen to when choosing a destination, location, venue, hotel? A space where we will invite people to have a place to engage, interact, play, learn, and communicate.
Understanding how destination and venue spaces impact the attendee experience and the sense of place is an added dimension to the site-selection process. It requires a sensitivity to the lifestyle choices people are making now to maintain the balance in their own personal sense of place while they explore new experiences.
Some questions to ask yourself in the meeting design process:
1. Are the objective and goals of the meeting or event clear?
2. Does the location meet your criteria for the format of the meeting, conference, or exhibition?
3. Are there attractions, museums, venues, or locations that could offer unique opportunities? For example, during The Special Event conference in Orlando this month, the Leadership Lunch was held on the Orlando Eye. How creative to use this location, filling each car with a seasoned professional facilitating a specific discussion with a group of 8–10 participants while enjoying the experience. Everyone wins as the PR opportunities benefit The Special Event and the Eye team for future business.
4. Does the space allow for designing places to complement the profile and needs of the attendees?
5. Does the sense of place encourage attendance and pre- or post-meeting tourism?
6. Where in the space are branding opportunities? Where are they allowed? Where are they most effective?
7. Does the space allow for an event design that will maximize flow?
8. What is the vibe of the people who work there? Are they proud of the place? Is there positive energy?
9. Does an actual destination — country, state, or city — complement the theme? If you are planning a meeting with top producers and the theme is Go for the Gold, are you aware of the influence that the location you choose has on perception, behavior, expectations?
10. Certain places have spaces that are uniquely designed for specific looks or themes. If using these results in cost savings that matches the theme and objectives, then the space works. If it doesn’t, choose something else and avoid the risk of losing marketing impact
Alice peered through the Looking Glass and saw BIG and little doors. Explore the spaces. Enjoy the places and continue the search and process for the right fit.
Before your next meeting, stand alone and let the venue tell you the possibilities. And, above all, remember there’s no place like a feeling of home and home is where two or more people can meet face to face. Invite me anytime.
Dianne Devitt
Twitter allows us 140 characters to deliver a message and catch the attention of our followers to take action. That action may be to connect to an article, Web site, book, or to engage another person. Either way, it is the haiku of the Twitter experience that makes it so effective—short, to the point content that evokes and prompts a response.
Think about your meeting themes that way, too. When events first debuted as theme parties, there was no rhyme or reason for their content. The opening night of a three-day conference would be destination-focused, while the remaining two nights were focused on anything from rock-and-roll to a specific color. These days are long gone as events are now an important part of an integrated communication plan.
A theme provides unity, direction, and appeals to prospective guests to attend. A strong theme is based on the objective and goals of the meeting or event, and provides a foundation for messaging to the participants and stakeholders.
For example, I worked with a client whose company tagline was “Change the Nature of Things.” When planning the first meeting with the executive team, we presented many choices for themes. The core objective of the meeting according to the then-chairman was to give permission to the existing four silos, which hadn’t worked together in the past, to interact with one another. The theme: “Change the Nature of Things… Now.” This was so effective that the following two years’ meetings kept the same tagline with one word difference: “Change the Nature of Things…Together” and “Change the Nature of Things… Faster.”
Whether your meeting is meant to inspire, motivate, or celebrate, here are 10 tips to designing a killer theme:
1. Have a clearly defined objective for your event: Why are you bringing people together?
2. Begin with the end in mind: What actions do you want participants to take as a result of participating in your meeting?
3. Identify risk management concerns: Check that the theme doesn’t conflict with another company or a competitor. Ensure that the meaning of your theme will interpreted to complement your objective and goals.
4. Invest time in research. Themes and great taglines evolve after a process. A part of the process is doing research on the company, management, products, and services, and truly understanding how they work and meld together and how the meeting and event will affect all. Perhaps the logo color will affect the design or a shape of a new product or the destination where the company is opening a new office.
5. Collaborate, brainstorm, and use games and visuals to support creative thinking. Nothing like putting a word on a board and seeing where it goes. I used the word “egg” at a recent brainstorm and the results were eggsceptional.
6. Stimulate the senses: You “gotta have a gimmick” to speak to people. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun.
7. Sleep on it: Every idea needs different perspectives and time to grow and develop.
8. Focus your attention on the Big Idea that ties everything together.
9. Communicate with your advertising, public relations, and marketing colleagues to ensure the messaging is on target with the overall company direction.
10. Remember, you can know why a meeting is happening, but understanding how to tell the story takes time, work, and expertise.
Dianne Devitt
Georgia O’Keeffe said, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.”
Me, too, Georgia, except that when I wear my event designer hat, those colors and shapes are transposed from a canvas to a ballroom.
Experts know that color has an energy and other attributes that affect our well-being, safety, moods, and behavior. Designers of hotels and event venues know the physiological and psychological reactions and benefits of using particular colors. Meeting and event designers know color principles that help them transform the energy of an event and evoke a response in attendees.
Meeting planners need to realize the important implications of color choices—it’s a lot more than decor. Think about these questions, for example:
1. What are the client’s corporate colors?
What color is the logo? Many logos are transferable from one color to another based on usage but many are not. This area is monitored and controlled by in-house marketing and sponsorship and must be respected to represent a company properly.
2. How does the color translate on a foamcore sign, vinyl banner, spandex, or through a light box?
All colors used in graphics and printing are associated with a Pantone Matching System, or PMS, color. Pantone has a color guide that planners can purchase. It is critical to test the results of a PMS color on the above materials prior to a meeting. No one wants the head of marketing to enter a room and see fuchsia on an overhead light box when it should appear as red.
3. What are the competition’s colors?
Understand the correlation and how brands use color. The red of Coca-Cola, the brown of UPS, TDBank’s green, Citi’s blue, and Yahoo’s purple all have distinct correlations in our memories. This is because color is a non-verbal language. Your company’s logo and graphics are instant identifiers to the brand. For planners, this means being aware of the colors of the linens, floral arrangements, marketing graphics, etc., to be used at an event.
4. What color is the hotel space/carpet/furniture? Will it “disappear” in the dark or will it distract?
Many clients are concerned with the effect of brightly colored linens or drapes or other built-in color features of a room. My test is to look at the colors when the room is darkened. This way you can feel and see the effect. Be bold the next time you are planning a dinner and try a really bright color! Contrast works!
5. How can I give badges and signs the most color impacct?
Don’t be too creative with color on practical elements like badges and signs. We read one-inch-high letters up to 30 feet away. If you want attendee names to be seen on a badge, use a color that will provide the most contrast to the badge color. If your badge color is white, use black or dark blue but never yellow, orange, or pink, as they disappear.
6. What are the cultural influences to specific colors?
Failure to understand the meaning of color in different cultures means leaving yourself open to huge mistakes, such as using a color that means death or insult. Color responses are based on learned behavior and must be understood in today’s global society. Ask local experts when working in a destination to help you understand.
Finally, I’ll leave you with two questions.
First, does a brown piece of luggage weigh more than the identical design in white? Answer and explanation next time!
And second, what color do you feel today?
Dianne Devitt
There was a time in New York City when major department stores ran across popular intersections. The prime example of this is Macy’s. Its flagship location continues to sit on its 34th Street throne, maintaining the importance to the larger brand, and serving as a reminder of a time when retail stores reigned supreme. I’ve been to them all, and have distinct memories with each of them: from the service I received to my experiences at the make-up counters. I remember shopping at stores like B. Altman and experiencing the wonder of the seventh floor picture collection. This was the first time I saw a celebrity picture framed with a handwritten autograph, the scrawled letters works of art made by the icons themselves. These memories are of a bygone time, when photos and handwriting were treasured objects that revealed something intimate and personal.
I have so many treasured memories from B. Altman. I saw fashion shows there. I bought my first hat there. I vividly recall the music, a classical accompaniment which flowed from the store’s grand piano, situated in the center of the retail space. I spent leisure time at the salon, relaxing and enjoying a cup of tea. The store was not just a store, it was a place to go. It was a community of staff and patrons who understood the customer – your tastes, your style, your spending habits. Shopping as an experience is one of the most pleasurable activities, although today’s fast-paced lifestyle doesn’t always permit it…
Or does it? New York City is gearing up to welcome Nordstrom’s NYC. In looking at the ads for jobs, my excitement grew. From baristas to bathroom attendants, the lists of service positions are vast. This stands in stark contrast contrast to the new Lidl DIY supermarket, which opened up near me not too long ago. Luxury is booming, but so are quicker and cheaper forms of retail. Both offer distinct experiences, and a close look into our priorities as a society.
As an experiential expert, I am reminded of the show on public television about the history of Selfridges, the iconic department store in London. Harry Selfridge, an American, created the first retail experience in London. He didn’t just sell Hermes scarves, he had Hermes come and demonstrate how to wear them. What Mr. Selfridge did was create the retail experience through events. Selfridges grew because of grand, over-the-top, experiential opportunities. He was a showman, and like P.T. Barnum and the circus, Mr. Selfridge put on a show. Selfridge knew, as many other retail icons did, that experiences and emotional connections result in sales.
I am enthusiastic to see what Nordstrom’s brings to NYC. Let the show begin!
Dianne Devitt
In theater, actors and stage elements are deliberately positioned based on how and where the director wants the actors to move. This is called blocking. Meetings and events require the same deliberate choices, and we call it flow.
The most critical success factor for events is the flow. How easy is it for your guests to move around and get the full value of the event experience, whether networking, learning, eating, drinking, enjoying entertainment, or some combination of these? Here are three things to consider with regard to your event setup:
1. Energy. Think about maintaining your event’s momentum. When people are in a continuous movement, there is a feeling that goes with that—of energy, excitement, life. Show me an event with a bottleneck or a long line at the food station and the feeling instead is one of needing oxygen: Get me out of here!!!
2. Attention. Because every venue is different, every set of choices about the physicality of a space is different. The challenge is to conceptualize a design plan that engages the audience appropriately and is directly related to the world you are inviting people to enter. For example, if new products, services, or messaging are being introduced, think about where to position the signage (both digital and analog), demo areas, interactive stations, or displays that will make the introductions. Place them near registration, a lounge, popular food stations, or a specialty bar, thereby signaling “I’d like your attention.”
One of the children’s charities I’ve worked with has a computer unit that fits over hospital beds for children to play with. At events, we display it on a small round stage with lighting. Round enables attendees to see the unit from all directions and it becomes part of the décor.
3. Deliberate Choices. The process of making choices that affect traffic, energy, and attention is what I call “kinetic engineering.” This concept requires a new way of seeing when you’re doing a site visit. As you walk the venue, identify obstacles and put yourself in attendees’ shoes.
For example, how you work with columns, ramps, balconies, windows, and stairs is based on the type of meeting or event being held and can be either a creative choice or distraction. Let’s take working in a room with columns. How we position décor and furniture around them, create food stations around them, use them for display, lighting effects, or audiovisual, makes the difference between obstacle or opportunity. With a low budget, I create a set up with a variety of rounds, both high-tops and cocktail size, to create varying heights and something to distract from what could be an impediment in the space. The simple act of shifting a square table into a diamond shape can change the flow of a room and opens up movement.
Whatever your deliberate choices, remember that the physical space is your stage and that this is a critical element of strategic meeting design.
I recently had the privilege of working with the brilliant women and men at MIT to plan the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. The name of the event was “Giant Leaps: Perspective is Everything” – and yes, it certainly is for all of us. The program ran for three days and involved a total of seven events, from a symposium to a symphony hall, where Buzz Aldrin narrated the 1937 Gustav Mahler film, The Planets, while accompanied by the glorious Boston Pops, led by Keith Lockhart. It was a magical and fitting tribute to the history-defining team of Apollo 11, who are sadly not with us to acknowledge this year’s 50th anniversary.
On the half-century anniversary of the moon landing, I’d like to publicly thank MIT, and specifically the AeroAstro Department, for the opportunity to be involved with this very special event. I’d also like to acknowledge my stellar team – Jennifer, Kathy, Vickie, Paul, Mary Ann, Carol, Ana, Denise, and so many more – who made our operation as successful as it was. One moment I will always remember is when Christopher Kraft, NASA’s first flight director, commented that our job was similar to his in overseeing the operation and keeping the fish swimming upstream... Hardly, Mr. Kraft, but thank you for the acknowledgement!
To be successful in anything we do requires taking risks. This means having the courage to make giant leaps in our own lives and always working to grow. By doing so, we not only discover new pathways, but we learn more about ourselves, our infinite potential, and our value to humankind.
In the planning process for this event, I spoke with experts, did my research, read heaps of documentation, and learned valuable lessons that have the potential to resonate with all of us.
Do you and your team take the time to discuss and analyze the reality of reaching your goal?
How would you rate your current team, whether in-house or virtual, and their collective energy at work?
Are you surrounded by the best people to do the job? If they are not performing to their potential, how can you better motivate them? What might be missing?
Are you open, honest, and trusting of your strategic partners and the vendors with whom you collaborate? Do you share information freely so that everyone can maximize their job performance?
How can our mistakes be used as case studies for growth and for the creation of new efficiencies? There truly are no mistakes in an open, trusting environment. We all make human errors, which are essential to our improvement.
In your work, do you always think of the people first? Their personal challenges, professional goals, and ways in which you can provide support?
When someone asks you to provide back-up, do you take the time to think and offer feedback that is beneficial, non-judgmental, free of personal opinions, and which can contribute to the greater good?
Do you challenge yourself to learn something new everyday? Do you use technology as a tool, rather than as a mechanism to waste time and escape into mindlessness?
How much information do you collect that may be able to help others down the road? Are you taking the time to organize your work, so it can become part of future research? Do you file and date your work, so it can be tracked?
What is your own quality control habit? Do you check your work and have someone else look at it before you submit? Do you wait a day before sending an important email, so you can read it with fresh eyes and make quality edits?
The next time you think you are facing an insurmountable obstacle, think again. How can you apply the lessons from the Apollo 11 team? Work together to accomplish extraordinary things for mankind. It just takes one small step.
