5. Always provide participants with a next step.  Often that is enrolling in our next event.
6. Give participants what they want.  If they don't respond to your call to action, you haven't given them what they want.
7. Polish your content, especially the first three minutes of your event.
8. Know when your seminar or workshop “really begins.”  It’s actually when people commit to showing up.
9.  Remember that the workshop is not about you.
10. Have somebody else be the logistics person.
11. Always have some form of evaluation at the end.
12. Create a timeline script for the event.
13.  If your evaluation is a written form, you’re giving them another opportunity to give you their contact information or the contact information for others who might be interested in your work.

If you want to read the entire first article, click here.
If you want to read the entire second article, click here.

In the past couple weeks, I’ve attended a few workshops and seminars as a participant, and I’ve noticed some common “mistakes” that could be easily corrected, and these will be reflected in this article of “Essentials.”  The first goes back to # 7, 8, 9 & 10 above, and it relates to the second most critical aspect of your event - the beginning.

1. You only get one opportunity to make a first impression so make it count.  That first impression is critical because it will either make the rest of your event flow more easily or cause much more difficult.  Thus, it’s crucial to set the stage before a single person walks into the room.

That means that you and your team need to arrive early so you can set up without any time pressure.  You can also find out where the logistical problems may arise and fix situations such as lack of wi-fi, sound, lighting, etc.  You would be smart to have already considered what type of environment you want to set for your guests and have a laid out a plan to do just that quickly and efficiently.  I refer to participants as guests because (1.1 Bonus) if you treat your participants as honored and respected guests, you’ll be more likely to be successful.

2. Music and simple cloth coverings can cover and conceal all manner of imperfections and issues.  When I first began producing workshops, we had to bring in bulky, expensive sound systems.  Now, you can plug an iPod into a speaker system smaller than a shoebox and fill a room with music.  And nothing helps set a tone in your room as simply and easily as music.

You can use it to energize the team (or yourself) as you set up the room.  Then, before you open the doors to let the guest in, you can change the music to set the mood you want.  It might be calming or it might be upbeat.  Music also goes on immediately when each break begins to help maintain the tone and keep from the dreaded “silent room” (unless you’re producing some form of silent meditation retreat).
The other easy way to improve your guests’ first impression is to make sure that tables and other visible production structures such as boxes of supplies are not seen.  (2.1 Bonus -  I always carry several sarongs and throw them over tables and boxes as needed if the facility does not have table covers.  It’s cheap and easy, and your guests think you’ve done something very special.)

3. Don’t allow participants into the room until it’s fully ready.  That means you’ve checked and double-checked the sound system and you’ve got everything laid out in a way that best serves your guests, your event and the outcome you wan to produce.

It also means handling details such as taping down cables and having all handouts in place where they will be most effective.  It also means that your music is playing, your team is calm and smiling and your presenter (if he or she is present.  I prefer that they not be around until the event is about to begin.) is ready to focus on the only two things that should occupy his or her attention - (3.1 Bonus - The presenter is supposed to  1. be with and inspire participants  and  2. deliver the message / material - and nothing else.)

4. Set up about 20% fewer chairs than you have pre-registered participants.  This means that if you have 30 people pre-registered, you set up about 24 chairs.  Then, you have another 15 - 20 chairs stacked in the back of the room where participants can’t see of find them.

You do this because you want the front of the room filled.  It’s very challenging to get your guests to move forward once you’ve begun.  However, if you have fewer chairs set up than people coming, they have no choice.  Also, it leaves plenty of room for latecomers to sit down in back of the room chair you set up later without disturbing others or your event energy.

The chairs stacked in the back are then put out by your logistics person or team to accommodate people once the front is filled.  This creates an ease and flow to seating without giving people the impression that you are forcing them into anything.  It also eliminates empty chairs in the front and provides a critical visual of a full room.  This is the impression you always want to strive for - your events are full.

5. The most important elements of any event are …  the breaks.  This is when much of the really good stuff happens for everybody, yet most people never consider, much less structure, the breaks (including meal breaks).

Breaks are the times of action, and not just the action of eating and going to the bathroom.  These are the times when people meet and connect.  They’re also the times when people buy your products and enroll in your next event.  Accordingly, you want to structure in plenty of time for folks to do all these things.  You don’t want to rush them back to their seats before they can check out and buy your book, CD Set or whatever.

Lack of proper breaks can also be an issue, especially if you have not given people to simply get up and use the restroom whenever they need to.  (Bonus 5.1 Going too long without a break causes people to
1. not pay attention and perhaps even fall asleep
2. walk out of the room in the middle of your presentation.
This is particularly true if you don’t give people a break at least every 90 minutes.  I prefer a break every hour, but sometimes that is not possible.  Regardless, the breaks are critical because that’s the time people meet other people and most important talk to you and or respond to your call to action (buy my book, sign up for my next seminar, etc.).

If you really want to keep people involved and excited (Bonus 5.2 every break will have some form of structured activity for your guests.)  Doing this eliminates people checking their email or other tasks that take them away from the flow and energy of your event.

The activity could be “during this break only, we’re offering my new book at a greatly discounted price and I’ll be here to sign it” or it could be something as simple as meet one person you don’t know during the break.  The most important thing is to keep people involved during the break to help maintain a strong and steady energy throughout your event.

Now you have about 23 Essentials for creating successful events.  Since I’ve been producing, presenting, marketing and facilitating live events for decades, this list could go on forever, and it seems to be doing just that.  If, however, you simply follow some of these 23, you will succeed.  And, if you need help with your event, drop me a note.  ssieden@gmail.com

Click here for the full text of Part #1 in this series.
Click here for the full text of Part #2 in this series.