The role of meeting planners is quickly evolving from individuals who orchestrate gatherings to those that curate experiences. And in an era of ever-evolving audience expectations and shortening attention spans, it's time to expand the role to include "experience designers".
It's not just about meeting logistics anymore; being a guest speaker for corporate events is about crafting a memorable experience from start to finish.
Why Event Planners Need to Create Memorable Events
As a guest speaker for corporate events, the key to crafting unforgettable experiences is to start thinking of an event as a storyboard. Much like a filmmaker plots the journey of their hero, planners should think about their attendee's experience as a scene-by-scene story line.
My corporate event planning checklist helps identify the main 'scenes' or touchpoints of an event, we can meticulously sculpt each moment, adding elements of surprise, emotion, and personalization, and ensuring that it leaves a lasting impression.
Specifically, the best event designers think of the following three elements:
Want to put these elements into practice?
I was recently a guest speaker for a corporate event of members from PCMA and MPI to brainstorm 100 different ideas to make our events memorable. We broke down the event journey into the following scenes: the lead-up to the event, arrival, the main content, the departure, and post event follow-up. For each scene, we shared things we've done or seen that could make any event stand out.
I've turned that discussion into a handy corporate event planning checklist. It's a treasure trove of inspiration to make your next event truly memorable. Download it below!
Remember, every event is an opportunity to tell a story, craft an experience, and leave a mark. As we embrace the role of an experience designer, we're not just planning meetings—we're creating memories that will resonate for a lifetime.