260: How To Run In-Person Events Like a Pro

Melissa:

Let's go to Jean. So Jean, her question was, I'm hosting my first live event with a 100 parents in September. Yay. What advice, lessons learned do you have from your first event? Oh my gosh. This is so exciting. What lessons do I not have? The first live event I did, the building caught on fire, and the power went out. But

Jean:

okay. And aside from not being in the middle of a hurricane or tropical storm, we don't we don't have those on the West Coast. So Right. I don't have to worry about that.

Melissa:

You know, I think the thing Chris has always Chris has been instrumental with me on this is, you know, we're here to we're here to serve and, like, give tremendous value. But we're also live events are costly, and they take a lot of your time. And you need to have a strategic plan on what you are going to sell at that event. Right? So that you're not only breaking even, but there's some level of profitability in the business. So I guess what I would ask, first of all, is what is your what is your overall goal of hosting the live event? What's your mission mission and purpose with the live event?

Jean:

Well, originally, I had a 4 week, online course with parents. And when I got some feedback, they're like, we we can't and these the all these people live in Oregon. All these parents live in and so they're willing to drive. And their feedback was, we can't do another Zoom thing. We just are done. We wanna do something in person. I have experts coming in talking about estate planning, SSI, you know, specific to when your child with a disability turns 16, there's a lot of things you have to think about. So I'm bringing in experts to talk to them in 4 hours about those things.

Jean:

And then I will then my my cell will be to then work with them, parents individually, to get that done, to to to go through the plan.

Melissa:

Okay. So a couple things. Is it how many days is it, or is it one day for 4 hours?

Jean:

It's one day. It's, like, 5 hours.

Melissa:

K. So a couple things. Number 1, time management is critical, especially with a 100 people. Okay? Like, you have to be a ninja with the agenda, and you need to be bringing people in before it's time to start again. Time is gonna run away from you. You need to have some volunteers who are helping you corral everybody back into their seats. So that's number 1. With a 100 people, it becomes a mess.

Melissa:

And I would, like, make sure you plan breaks even though it's 5 hours. You're talking about some pretty tough stuff to get through. Right? So, like, if you notice, like, we have Angeliki who, like, has everybody stand, do a little stretch. Like, what can you do to keep the energy a little bit higher? And you also, need to think about nourishment. Like, if there's a lunch break, how close is the location for lunch? And are you realistic with the expectation of lunch break? Like, if you're creating a lunch break for 30 minutes, but they've gotta go across the street and the only restaurant is gonna take them an hour versus a kiosk in the hotel? Like, those are things you have to think about. Or are you providing lunch for them? Because that gets really costly too. So those are the things you have to think about. As far as and also just show rate.

Melissa:

Like, you need to have some series of emails to get them excited for what they've committed to. I don't know if you're getting a hotel block. Like, that is always the nail biter for me. You guys always wait till the last fucking minute to book your hotels, and I've got tens of 1,000 of dollars on the line waiting to see those rooms booked. And because if you don't meet the requirement, you get stuck with the bill. Right? And so, like, you wanna save the rooms for these people so they can get a discount, but then they're not booking it until the last minute, and so your armpits sweat. Right? So just be realistic with how many people are actually gonna show up and what you commit to the hotel. At this day and age, people end up finding Airbnbs and stuff too.

Melissa:

Right? Like, you might have a 100 people who say they're gonna come, but 20 get a room, and the rest, you know I guess you said they're local, so maybe they aren't gonna stay in a hotel. I don't know how far they're gonna have to drive. So maybe I'm in a rabbit hole. It doesn't matter to you. Other things. But still, you want an email series of, like like, you guys are gonna see emails coming out, just hyping up the speakers that are gonna be there, your pack list. Like, you want people to get excited for the agenda, so that you fill the room. Right? You don't want you want people to get excited for what they signed up for.

Melissa:

The other thing is the sell. Right? You need to be cognizant of when you're selling, and what the energy level is. Right? So trying to pitch to everyone after lunch break is a horrible idea. Right? So you wanna think about when you're pitching people. Can you get the energy a little bit higher in the room? Like, for instance, if you just did a workshop on death, you know, you don't wanna move up to the stage and pitch everybody on your services. You see what I'm saying? So, like, the order in the agenda really matters. Right? So we always pitch before lunch. We hold you between us and what's holding you between us and lunch is me pitching you this thing.

Melissa:

Right? We usually do the pitch right after a break. Right? Like, give people a quick potty break. If they done something kinda heavy, they've just finished a big workshop, like, let them go relieve themselves, let them walk around, let them get a little snack. So that's something to think about as well. The other thing is you're creating a deadline for whatever you put out. Right? Like, you year, if you join the mastermind while you were there, you saved, like, $2,000. Right? So create some urgency so that you get momentum with your offer. And I would I would have people register so that you can follow-up through email.

Melissa:

Right? So maybe there's a countdown. Maybe if you purchase by a certain day, maybe it's Sunday or 3 days after the event, then you can send some to remind people. We actually had to turn ours off because we completely sold out our mastermind in 40 minutes, but we were planning on a email job, right, for a little while for a countdown till Sunday. Right? And the other thing is, like, I think it's really important. I know you're bringing in experts. Are you doing any of the content?

Jean:

Yeah. I'll do a little bit, but mostly relying on experts.

Melissa:

Okay. So it's a balance because you want them to see you as an expert and bringing value that you want them to feel confident that they can invest in you. So it's one of the reasons I run workshops every day in my live event, if not more than 1, even though it's exhausting to, like, emcee, facilitate, like, all the things. But Chris has really instilled in me, like, people are coming for you. They're coming for your team. You can't just load the lines with other people. They'll walk out of the room buying other people's stuff too. Right? Working with them.

Melissa:

Right? So, you wanna position yourself so that you're bringing, some breakthrough workshops with them as well so they see your zone of genius and their level of confidence. Right? A level of confidence. I don't know if Jackie has shared this with you guys. I totally can. We've worked with a marketing strategist. We've followed the same formula every year at our live event for the actual pitch itself. I'm sure we can get you guys the template of it, you know, how you story tell and how you open up the offer, how you close the offer, all of that stuff. What else? Ali, you're there at the events.

Melissa:

What what else can we help them with as far as what what do we wish we had known? What Ali, what do you wish you had known the first time you helped us do this stuff? She could probably have a completely different lens from the administrative side.

Alli:

Yeah. I mean, like, check-in process is really important. So I don't know. I'd be happy to, like, talk to you and not waste your time here about, like, what that looks like, because the very first event in that was in Charlotte, I think, was on a spreadsheet. And last year, we had the, QR code thing. So, like, that that process is, like, what sticks out to me because it was not smooth. I don't feel like either year. So Yeah.

Alli:

That's rapid. Yep. Focus a little bit of attention just because that that it can be very clunky.

Jean:

Mhmm.

Melissa:

And it's so much And like goodie bags. Are you gonna give out goodie bags? And if so, who's assembling them and when? Because that's a whole thing. Listen.

Jean:

Some of it's calling in favors of, family and friends. But, yeah, there'll be a little goodie bag. Some of the speakers will have things that we'll put into the to the goodie bags and stuff. So

Melissa:

And the other thing is if you're going for 5 hours, are you gonna have a lunch break, or are you going before or after lunch? Or

Jean:

I think we'll do a short lunch break, and I'm just gonna bring in, I'm just gonna bring in it'll be a a light lunch, but I'm just gonna bring it in so that we can just get it. And and people stay there, and then we'll just move on. So

Melissa:

Okay. Perfect. Because I was gonna say the other thing you guys will notice, we always put some snacks in your bag, because there's nothing worse than, like, hangry, like, just people. So, and one of the reasons it's a couple strategies that number 1, it's in their bag. They can grab it whenever they want. It also reduced cost, because when you're working with the hotel, they're gonna mark it up tremendously. And I've done this before. You serve snacks, and they serve 12 times the amount that you need.

Melissa:

And, it's wildly expensive, but they also don't want you to bring in your own snacks. But if the snacks are in their bag as a gift, they can't do anything about it. Right? So I learned that from a previous event planner.

Jean:

Oh, that's a good idea. I didn't think about that.

Melissa:

Yeah. Is is this helping you a little bit?

Jean:

Yes. Very much so. Thank you.

Melissa:

Any other follow-up questions to that?

Jean:

I don't think so. I, Ally, I will definitely follow-up with you because I didn't think about the QR code for registration, so that will be quick. So thank you.

Melissa:

Yeah. Yeah.

Jean:

Alright.