When organising and running an event, you want it to be successful and enjoyable. You want it to be a memorable experience for your delegates. But let’s face it, once you’ve seen one meeting or function room, you’ve seen them all! So how can you break free from the mould of predictability and ‘sameness’ at your next event? Here is our unconventional guide to event management.
The experience
Think about your goal for the meeting and the experience for your delegates. You want it to be something different. Something they’ve maybe not seen or experienced before. What type of event are you holding? Will it be a structured with an agenda? A fluid informal affair? A social gathering? Or a combination? What will the theme be?
Give your delegates the chance to see, hear, feel and experience something new in an unexpected way.
Grab a pad and pen, start brainstorming and let your imagination flow with ideas of unconventional spaces and experiences.
Location, location, location
One of the key aspects to planning an unconventional event is the venue. Finding something out of the norm but at the same time understanding the venue will have the largest impact on a lot of your choices. The choice of venue can often end up dictating the date you book, what suppliers you can use, delegates previous experiences, access, transport etc.
To keep in with the unconventional theme, when looking for a space for your event, look for places that aren’t necessarily designed for events. Here are a few suggestions of unusual venues to check out, as well as some examples of venues within the UK available to book:
Connect the dots
With your theme, venue and type of event all chosen, consideration needs to be given to other elements of the day, including the food and decorations to tie in the overall feel.
Choosing the right food can often be the make or break of your event. If you get it right, you will have happy delegates who feel well looked after. Get it wrong and you’ve got your hands-full with hungry, unhappy and disengaged guests! You don’t need to spend a fortune but choose foods that get the taste buds going and shows some thought has gone into the menu.
But don’t forget the decorations. The right decorations can have the power to transform the entire event. They not only help your theme come alive and turn even the blandest of rooms into an entirely different world, but they can set the atmosphere and wow your delegates all at the same time.
Your goal is to make a memorable experience for your delegates, whilst meeting your objectives for holding your event in the first place. You want to have you delegates engaged, paying attention and taking something away from the experience. To get results, and ensure you don't miss a beat, download our Free Event Planning Checklist! This handy guide will help you brainstorm unconventional ideas, source unique venues, and plan every detail for a successful event.