7 tips and best practice for managing multiple events

A core feature in any marketing plan is an events plan, often taking organisations all over the world to engage with customers, suppliers, partners and even competitors. Various events with varying themes and locations necessitate a robust events plan but the delivery is not always straightforward.

When it comes to managing multiple events, there are some fundamentals which should be considered to make bringing an events plan to life, that much simpler. 

Consolidate logistics

Logistics are critical for event management, after all they dictate when and how the stand, materials and even colleagues get to the event.

Consolidating logistics and making them as efficient as possible is crucial for any events plan, especially when including overseas.

Not only does transport become more seamless, there’s a strong possibility of saving costs too as the more efficient the logistics, the fewer vehicles are needed.

Plan for contingency

Part of any events plan should include a plan for contingency – i.e. what happens if something goes wrong? This could be anything from adverse weather affecting travel plans to a technical malfunction or marketing collateral not showing up.

Drawing up a contingency plan with back-ups is definitely something we at Kairos wholeheartedly recommend. Often, there’s no telling when hiccups can arise but it’s important to be prepared - the worst case scenario is nothing happens and everything goes to plan, which is great!

Develop relationships with overseas suppliers

International events are a true test, especially as there’s a strong likelihood you’ll encounter different rules and regulations compared to those you’re used to.

A great way to manage this is to build relationships with overseas suppliers who are well versed with the regulations they need to adhere to. Not only can they advise, they also respect the regulations as a matter of course making the operation a lot more straightforward.

It’s a priority for us at Kairos to ensure we have great relationships with overseas suppliers to ensure managing overseas events is a breeze.

Brand continuity through assets

Brand assets are crucial, they are essentially the middleman between exhibitor and delegate - if they fall flat, so does the whole experience and you risk missing your event objectives.

When developing brand assets, such as a brochures, logos, creative themes or even stand designs, ensure they’re flexible and easy to amend.

We’ve designed and created assets for various uses for multiple clients, ranging from huge exhibition stands through to smaller, more intimate events.

Sustainable design and planning

As an industry, we’ve come a long way with improving our sustainability efforts. That being said, while there’s more work to do, there’s a lot we can do now.

The main principle is to design and create something that can be reused, requiring minimal resources to key up-to-date or fresh. The benefits include far less environmental impact, cost savings and even provide a marketable advantage (if your competitors aren’t).

When discussing sustainability with our clients, we’re quick to point out it extends beyond stands and booths, for example event invites that can be planted and turned into trees.

Strong brand <> agency relationships

The collaborative strength of the relationship between brand and agency will significantly influence the effectiveness of an events plan, especially for those that have 10s (if not 100s) of events per year.

Ensuring the relationship is firing on all cylinders is vital but sometimes things can go off on a tangent. If you suspect the relationship with your agency (or brand) isn’t as effective as it could be, arrange a call and discuss your concerns. There’s a good chance other parties feel the same and this provides a great opportunity to get everyone back on the same page.

At Kairos, we appoint an account director who’s responsible for being both the brand and agency ambassador. This creates a frictionless environment for both parties to flourish and deliver the best events plan possible.

Continuous improvement

Last but not least, it’s critical to keep an eye on continuous improvement. Irrespective of what anyone says, as people, we’re always learning. Brands, agencies, customers… everyone.

This means that any lessons learned on the way should be included within plans as soon as possible. Sometimes this can be months, if not years later, in other instances, they can be instant.

Also bear in mind that continuous improvement can benefit anyone, while it’s good practice to put customers at the heart of everything, sometimes it’s your own team that benefit. 

Kairos final thoughts

Events are unique. They can provide the most immersive and engaging platform for brands and their customers BUT only if they’re done right.

Working with an agency like Kairos can remove so many headaches that come from developing and implementing an events plan, especially if it has an international flavour. Follow our best practice above and you’ll be much better placed to manage your events and if you’re ever in need of support, say hello!