The best event management companies take a strategic approach to meeting and event planning by incorporating these five stages: goals and objectives, design, planning, execution and evaluation.
The best event management companies take a strategic approach to meeting and event planning by incorporating these five stages: goals and objectives, design, planning, execution and evaluation. Some meeting and event planning companies provide holistic service offerings to support each phase of an event, but that is not always the best option. Many of these services can be reallocated to freelancers instead of a one size fits all approach.
The value of infusing your meeting and event team with freelancers lies in the expertise you are adding to each phase of your event. Leveraging freelance talent allows companies to handpick the expertise and strengths they want for each role instead of giving full control to an agency to place their talent.
In fact, many freelancers in the Soundings Connect network began their careers working full time for meeting planning companies or as internal event planners. The experience gained in these full-time positions gave them the knowledge and confidence to take the leap to becoming a freelance meeting and event professional. Our freelancers rival the skills and expertise offered by top event planning companies.
Let’s take a look at how freelance event talent can provide supplemental support to your organization throughout each phase of the event planning process!
1) Defining your goals and objectives
The first step to planning any event should be defining your goals and how you will measure them. Stakeholders should have a clear understanding of why you are having the event and what success looks like. Goals should be specific and measurable to ensure you can define success at the end of the event.
Companies that have internal meeting and event planners facilitate this process by assigning a project manager for the event. For companies that don’t have an internal team, Soundings Connect meeting and event consultants or freelance event planners can support this initiative.
Soundings Connect has savvy meeting and event planners that can manage key decision makers through this process.
2) Focus on objectives and event design
Event design and strategy consultants can help you make the best choices for your event by translating strategy to logistics and methodically leveraging data insights. Once your goals are set, an event design consultant can holistically guide key stakeholders through the event design process by aligning objectives to your goals.
Freelance meeting and event consultants have the insight and experience to elevate your events through thoughtful experience design. When you infuse the knowledge of a freelance meeting and event consultant from Soundings Connect into your organization, it will lead to an optimized program vision and attendee experience that you hope to achieve.
3) Logistical planning
If you do not have the internal event planning resources to manage the logistics for your event, a freelance meeting and event planner can assist! A meeting and event planner will help you adhere to the defined planning framework and ensure you create the desired attendee experience, stay within your budget, meet your goals and objectives, and increase the overall ROI of your event.
For larger events, it may be beneficial to work with multiple freelancers who have experience planning specific areas of your event. For instance, you may want a meeting and event coordinator to take some of the work off of the meeting and event planner at a lower cost. Or maybe you need an event technology specialist and registration specialist to take the lead on registration and event technologies for your event.
The technology industry has been leveraging freelance talent for years. Because of this, corporate event planners have plenty of access to top freelance event technology specialists. The freelance nature of this role means even some of the top event planning companies can’t compete with the Soundings Connect talent pool.
4) Event execution
The days leading up to an event can be a stressful time for meeting and event planners. There are constantly last minute changes and unforeseen circumstances that can alter your plans. The good news is planners do not have to handle these situations alone.
Freelance travel directors are experts in on-site operation. They assist event planners by coordinating all of the moving parts of an event including food & beverage, audio visual, rooms, transportation, technology and more.
Many freelance travel directors learned their trade by working full-time with event management companies before they went out on their own. Their full-time experience makes them experts at anticipating unforeseen challenges during meetings and events and working with the team and vendors to solve problems.
5) Event evaluation
Your event was a smashing success! Now it is time to celebrate. Well…not quite yet.
Regardless of how good the event felt, you need to do a post event evaluation to determine if you achieved your goals.
Attendee surveys and data analytics are an important part of this phase. Sending and analyzing surveys may require assistance from an event technology specialist, registration manager and event consultant. You may need the expertise of an event marketing specialist who is experienced with your company’s CRM to capture data on customer acquisition and sales from your event.
It is also important to ensure financial records are accurate by promptly analyzing your financial data following your event. Your company may not have an event accountant on staff, but you can easily work with a freelance meeting and event accountant who will deliver the same care and expertise as an in-house accountant at industry leading event planning companies!
Why choose Soundings Connect?
There are many moving parts to consider throughout the event planning process. Many meeting and event planning companies are available who will manage your event from A to Z but you also have the option to resource your event with freelance meeting and event professionals.
Soundings Connect can help you take advantage of the services of expert freelancers, who will return the same results, or better, than the best event management companies at a fraction of the cost.
Contact Soundings Connect to learn more about our Talent Solutions and Consulting Services!
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