Sandra Long’s Post

You're probably not getting the most out of the events you host and I know why... It comes down to 6 simple words: Why are we gathered here today? The *most* important question to ask when entertaining personally or professionally is *taps CAPSLOCK* WHY!? WARNING: The correct answer to this question won't be your first thought or written on the invitation. An event’s true purpose is the “inside thought” that you don’t tell the guests because it sounds too ugly, honest, or harsh. For example— Someone might say that they are hosting a #networkingevent to “build #community, make #connections, expand guests’ #professional spheres, and learn about what others are doing in the space.” In reality, they're lying. A networking event is a way to meet other people who have goals or skills that align with your goals or skills and can be leveraged in a mutually beneficial way to elevate your bottom line. The #success of this event isn’t contingent on what you say it is when you say “we want an incredible group of young creative thinkers who are ready to share and grow” those are the “pretty” “outside voice” words. The true success is contingent on having a room filled with notable professionals who are open to making connections and are curious and extroverted enough to meet, mingle, share, and brainstorm in an action-oriented manner. Your #goal will be achieved when two co-founders tell Morning Brew that they wouldn't have built the next outerspaceAIgeneratedubercannedwaterairbnb if they hadn't met at [insert your perfectly curated networking roundtable here]. Ask yourself: What is the purpose of this event?  What are you looking to get out of the evening and what are quantifiable success metrics for this? What could get in the way of you achieving your intended outcome? Plan around those answers and if all else fails...make sure to have a great wine and cheese selection. Need help planning your next event? Shoot me a DM and let's get plotting 💃

8 tips to choose business events and not waste your money 1️⃣ Do your research: when you have a list of events, check their websites, reviews, social networks and contact event organizers to get as much info about attendees as possible. Ask organizers to send you a list with companies and titles of their attendees from the past events. 2️⃣ Target decision makers: once you have all the info, identify events with key decision makers for your area, not just salespeople. 3️⃣ Check where most of your competitors go: and don’t go there. Think about other events that are not directly connected to your industry, but where your decision makers could go. Meetups about management, conferences about innovations… Think about the interests of your target audience. 4️⃣ Review event agendas: make sure the topics and speakers (!!!) are interesting to your target audience. It’s good to see that speakers could also be your target audience; that’s a green flag 💚 5️⃣ Calculate potential ROI: if the event is too expensive for you and you feel you won’t get a 3x return of your investments, skip it. 6️⃣ If you can speak at the event, speak. Even paid slots are good; you just need to think about the content carefully. 7️⃣ Sign up for all networking activities: is it a meditation session? Go for it! An open discussion? Amazing! Never skip breakfasts, lunches and dinners. And afterparties. Afterparties are a must. 8️⃣ Use all the digital tools you can use: LinkedIn to connect before the event, apps provided by organizers at the event — everything will help. #eventmarketing #eventmanagement #tradeshowmarketing #tradeshows

Events transform businesses. Period. Remember the 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, the 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, the 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘀? That’s the power of 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🌟 I've been around. From all angles. And from different industries. Seen the rise and fall of countless trends. But one thing remains: the 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. That’s just undeniable. In my early days, a single event turned the tides for a struggling travel agency I worked for. The 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, the 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, the 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸. It was a game-changer 🚀 Now, let’s talk 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆. Because an event without strategy is just a party 🎉 • Before the event, it’s all about the 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱-𝘂𝗽. Create 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. How? Start with 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀. Not just any countdowns, but ones that make people mark their calendars. Share 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, but make them personal. Let your audience see the 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲. • And during the event? That’s your 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. Live updates, but make them vibrant, make them count. Encourage 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿-𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 – this is gold, believe me 🌟 This is your community speaking for you. And 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗤&𝗔 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? They’re not just sessions; they’re your 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. • Post-event, your work’s not done. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲𝘀, personally if possible. Share a 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽, but make it memorable. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 – genuinely. And then, share the 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 – the key takeaways, the moments that mattered. And most importantly - do not wait to long to do this - you will lose momentum. There is no secret here - just 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴. FAQs, sponsor highlights, success stories – these aren’t just filler content; they’re your 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Events are more than gatherings. They’re 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, for connection, for change. If you’re not leveraging every stage of your event, you’re missing out. (𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴) Remember, every interaction counts. Every moment is an opportunity. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. --- #eventprofs #liveevents #businessgrowth #eventengagement

How can you multiply the impact of your events? Yes we go for the content and networking, but.... It's the relationships we build that are priceless and hard to measure. Plus, who said that content can only be shared in a session? It can be that conversation in the hallway, on the showfloor, etc.. you get the idea. So, focus on building communities. Let your event BE the platform. Why? The trend is clear: Niche events and micro-communities are on the rise. Here’s how you can get started: ☑️ Identify Core Values: What binds your community together? ☑️ Create Engaging Content: Share stories, insights, and content that resonate with your community’s interests. ☑️ Encourage Discussions: Build dialogue around your industry trends, daily challenges, and share experiences. ☑️ Host Exclusive Events: Provide value through roundtables, Q&A sessions, and meetups. This approach doesn't just help you build a loyal event attendees, but it multiplies the event's overall impact. It transforms attendees into advocates, connections into relationships, and events into milestones. Have you facilitated or participated one of these? What did you take away from that experience? #eventmarketing #eventprofs

It's not about your event invitation; it's about the value proposition. Let's dispel a common misconception. IT leaders are not elusive creatures who shun social interaction. They're busy professionals who value their time. So, how do you invite them to your event? 1. Tailor your invitation: Generic invitations are a no-go. Make your event invite relevant to their interests and if possible current projects (research articles, podcasts, past engagement). Increase your chances exponentially by adding a hyper-personalised video message with a thumbnail image showing their name... who wouldn't at least click on that!? 2. Be concise: IT leaders are swamped with emails and event invites. Keep your invitation brief, clear, and to the point. 3. Offer value: What makes your event unique? Showcase the value your event brings - exclusive insights, networking opportunities, or your solution roadmap. 4. Follow up, Follow up, Follow up! A gentle reminder never hurts. Follow up your invitation with a personal phone call, WhatsApp, Video, Email or carrier pigeon.... do all of it but don't automate it. Remember, the goal isn't just to get IT leaders to your event. It's to create an experience that resonates with them, long after the event is over. So, next time you’re planning an event, don’t just invite IT leaders. Engage them. Or if you want to leave the hard work to a professional drop me a DM 😏 #DatasearchEvents

Exciting News for SaaStr Event! 📣 The season of events is just around the corner, and I wanted to share some do's based on my personal experience. But I'm curious, what items would you add to this list? Let's dive in! 💼 Before the Event: 1. Keep a good number of business cards handy: Despite the digital age, business cards still hold value. Having them as a backup option is wise as some people may ask for them. 📇 2. Print t-shirts with your logos: Stand out from the crowd and make your brand visible. If feasible, consider bringing additional branded items as gifts to enhance brand recall. 🔖 3. Leverage LinkedIn: Send invites to your customer segments and check if they are attending the conferences you're going to. It's a great way to increase visibility and network with like-minded professionals. 4. Try an impressive trick: Share a daily list of mixers on LinkedIn and WhatsApp groups before the conference. It helps others plan their schedules and creates buzz around your presence. 🗒️ 5. Catch attention: Some companies provide cab coupons for conferences, adding an extra perk to grab attention. It's an innovative way to make a memorable impression. During the Event: 1. Quality over quantity: Focus on spending quality time with a select few rather than trying to meet hundreds of people. Meaningful connections go a long way. 🤝 2. Keep your evenings open: Expect 4-6 mixers during the first two days. Make sure to connect with investors, potential customers, and fellow entrepreneurs. Stay tuned for announcements and registration links. 🗓️ 3. Embrace mixers: Step out of your comfort zone and mingle with new people. Don't just stick with your friends. Explore new connections and expand your network. 🌐 What other tips do you have for making the most of events? Share your thoughts in the comments below! #OutsourcePedia

In my journey as a co-organiser for UpLift Live, I've hit upon something quite baffling. You see, part of my gig involves encouraging my contacts to join us at the conference. And honestly, it's no walk in the park, but hey, we're nearly hitting the 200-ticket mark with just over 4 weeks to go – not too shabby, right? Here's where it gets a bit tricky. When I reach out to high-profile folks on LinkedIn, especially professional speakers, things take an interesting turn. Quite often, they counter by offering to speak at UpLift Live. I appreciate the gesture, truly, but our speaker lineup has been locked in for over six months, featuring incredible talent from all around the globe. But then comes the kicker. Some of these speakers tell me they don't attend conferences unless they're on the speaking roster.  One cited a lack of ROI as the reason. Now, this has me scratching my head a bit. If everyone thought like this, wouldn't conferences just... disappear? What happened to attending events for learning, networking, and perhaps, just being part of a community? Rest assured, I'm super confident that every delegate and speaker at UpLift Live will walk away with valuable insights and actionable takeaways. I'm talking about the kind of return-on-investment that doesn't just hit the bank balance but enhances your professional journey. What do you think? Are conferences only worth it if you're speaking, or is there more to gain as an attendee? #UpLiftLive #LinkedInLearning #LinkedInGrowth

😱 The way you attend events is defintely going to change in 2024, If you're someone who has "Networking" as a goal this year, think again where you showup 🔹 In last two years, we have seen a huge interest being attracted towards small gatherings of 20-50 people than larger ones where you anywhere between 200-1k footfall Infact, the more people at the event the difficult it gets for them to connect to right ones who match their reason to attend the event at 1st place 😅 And let's all agree we are no more going to events only to hear Panel after Panel, sure the lineup of experts is what gets us there but it majorly acts as signaling of the kind of audience that will be coming to witness them 😰 What ends up happening is becomes very arbitrary to define if you met your KPIs, both for individuals and organisers By what changed? Because people there are 3 elements at play here ✅ Building long-term relationships with the ones you meet ✅ Collaboration with like-minded folks who attend since now almost everyone is looking to work on something together ✅ People really care and focus on what kind of audience is being attracted to these events and if they actually want to meet them In today's time we have went past connecting with 100s of people roaming around sharing linkedin profiles only to increase the connection count 🤷♀️ And if you are the one setting up an offline event, what should you do? ✔ Do less, get less speakers give more intimate time to attendees with them ✔ Curation is that salt which makes it delightful, find one niche interest that your target audience has and keep that as a filter to let people in ✔ Make them do something together in small groups, be it conversations, projects or a game, this starts as an icebreaker and they get a chance to meet exactly who they want to and almost everytime they will end-up doing something together. We have seen people become founders who are building startups, they become friends who work, sleep, eat together, they become partners and keep collaborating on projects every now and then. 😇 If you want me break this down even more with key insights and examples, let me know in the comment what kind of meetups do you like to attend And finally, if you are someone who want to know how to do this? Hit me up, would love to help you out if i can (pro-bono) #community #growth #events #business

I’m screaming …with frustration! A client has asked me if I know of any event tech that could bring a bit of wow to their imminent event. Can you see why I’m frustrated? If not, I’ll tell you! It’s because it’s not about the technology engaging or wowing the audience. It’s about delighting your audience and using tech, if necessary, to enable that. The reason I want to be involved early in the planning process is to ask clients questions like: What do you want the attendee to feel after your event? How are you designing the event to do to this? Before we even ask if we need some technology to make this happen. Wowing an audience needs to be intentional from the outset, not something we hope technology will do at the last minute. And I think the focus should be less about giving your attendees moments of wow at a pretty ‘meh event, but about delighting them throughout their whole experience, by doing things like: Helping to build community. Structuring the networking. Running workshop sessions that get them actually working together rather than passively watching. Getting their questions and ideas included from the get go. Giveing them more and better and longer breaks. Tell me which, if not all of the above, and more, you want to implement. I’ll help you do that and if we need tech to make some of it happen then great! Technology is not the delighter or maker of wow at an event. It is an enabler. #eventtech #eventplanner #events #technology #enabler

𝗠𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝟳𝟬 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟰 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀! - All attendees are my ideal customer profile (ICP) - I achieved this traction without any collaboration This feat was beyond anything I imagined achieving in a single day. I thought reaching close to 100 attendees would take a week! But wow, was I wrong? It's amazing how hard work pays off. Some of you might be wondering if there's a process to replicate this success for your own events. The answer is partially yes. However, the key is putting in the groundwork 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 the event. Here's what I did: 1. 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: I focused on building relationships with high-quality people in my industry. 2. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀: I actively participated in groups where my target audience gathers. 3. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: I consistently shared high-quality content that addresses my audience's needs. 4. 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 (𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻): This boosted awareness, engagement, and connections within my network. It also helped identify people interested in future events but unable to attend the first one due to scheduling conflicts. 5. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲: By hosting the previous workshop and interacting with attendees and now amazing friends like Mark McPherson, Sissle A. , and Krishna Kammili, I was able to determine the ideal time frame for my audience. 6. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆: I verified the most convenient time slot for the event through a time zone survey and stuck with the most popular option. 7. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗜 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝗱) Yes, I prayed for the event's success. While prayer is a personal decision, I believe it played a Huge role to my success. I'm a Proud Christian 😌 I couldn't even deny it if I wanted to. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 70+ 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 24 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙥𝙧𝙚-𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝. Hopefully, this helps anyone planning a LinkedIn event! P.S. You can still sign up for my workshop here: https://lnkd.in/dGvvKE5h #Linkedevent #success #realestate #uk