Experiential events have the power to reach out to thousands of people, create an exciting buzz around the brand and increase audience/employee participation and engagement by curating apt experiences for brands and corporates.
You might want to be cost-effective and organise the event on your own but the precision in planning, attention to each detail, use of technology for smooth communication, the experience of skilled experts and a flawless execution can only be obtained by the best experiential communication agency in the business.
To have a better understanding on this matter we interviewed Tejpal Singh Patpatia, the chief operating officer at Shobiz. Below, he speaks to us in detail about the advantages of and the difference an experiential communication agency can make to your brand/company.
1.Needless to say that the success of an event depends upon an apt organisation. Tell us how Shobiz, as an experiential communication agency ensures smooth execution of the highest standard events.
Any event small or big has multiple facets that need to be tied together, right from planning / designing till the final execution of the event. Multiple elements need to work in clockwork precision for an event to be executed flawlessly. Precision in planning and an eye for the minutest of detail ensures that any event that is being executed is of high standard and most importantly impacts the audience in a positive manner.
Shobiz as an agency has been around for more than 35 years and we pride ourselves in being one of the leading experiential communication agencies which has had a proven track record of impeccable execution. This is the only reason our clients keep coming back to us time and again.
Key areas that are critical in ensuring a smooth execution of any event are : –
- Proper planning – includes everything from design to layouts to scheduling set up, tech checks and rehearsals.
- Ensuring that a detailed project plan with a complete checklist is maintained.
- Choosing the right execution partners and vendors, depending on the type and scale of event.
- Having trained and skilled personnel for the event (from lighting technicians to sound engineers to av projectionists, etc.)
- Implementing adequate safety measures and precautions, on site during the event.
- Making sure that enough redundancy is built into the tech aspect of the event so that there are back-ups available for critical and key tech equipment.
At Shobiz we ensure that all the above points are given equal importance for all events that we execute, then whether it a small press conference or a large-scale event.
2. Is budget a constraint? It is believed that a ‘huge budget = more success’ for an event, how does Shobiz perceive this?
The availability of a “decent budget” is what is required to execute a successful event.
The success of any event depends upon the cumulative effect of three important factors:
- Proper Planning
- Apt Resources and
- Decent Budget
While it is the agency’s responsibility to manage the first two aspects, it is the client’s duty to ensure that a decent budget is allocated for the event. The budgeting of any event depends on the scale at which the client wants to execute the event and how they would like to portray their brand to their attendees and the outside world. There is a huge difference in the budgets required for a public and a corporate event due to a varied target audience and a unique and exquisite layout for each. The success matrix for an event differs from industry to industry and on the nature of the event.
The principal client needs to first identify the ‘key result area’ or the main purpose of the event that they would like to achieve and accordingly allocate enough budgets to these important areas to ensure a high ROI from the event. Additional funds are always welcome as they help the client and the event company to plan activities which can increase the stunning quotient of the event and make it visually look more appealing and add that defining finesse to the event.
3. How does devising a contingency plan and risk management strategies aid in the proper planning of an event?
A very common saying in our industry is that “we are as good as our last event”.
Being in a business of live events that has no place for re-takes, we are always judged based on the last event that we planned and executed. Thus, it is very important to plan well and have contingency plans (back-ups) in hand because one slip up can result in losing the client forever. It is also very essential to maintain the clients trust and always keep them educated and updated on risks involved and the contingency plan that is being devised for their event. Especially in the case of public events / ticketed events, it is imperative that the client and the company understand the complexity and ensure that a detailed risk management exercise is held, and adequate steps are taken to mitigate the risks involved. If required event insurance should be taken to ensure that both the agency and the client, are covered against these risks.
4. Shobiz, as an experiential communication agency, conceptualises attendee engagement. What significance does technology endure in the event marketing industry?
In the last couple of years, the number of corporate events being held in the country has increased exponentially. Every prospective attendee gets invitations for multiple events on a weekly basis, if not daily. So, it is very important to devise an innovative and engaging communication for events. With the mobile phone becoming the primary medium of communication (for both voice and data), the use of technology in attendee engagement has become extremely important.
Gone are those days when we used to send hard copy invitation cards for events.
All event communication has now moved to digital platforms like emailers. Mobile apps for events have become the new normal. Information and details about the events are no longer printed on leaflets or posters but are pushed through different digital media including event apps. Even post-event communication, like surveys with delegates, have moved to the digital space through e-mailers or updates via the mobile apps.
The significance of technology in designing a perfect event has drastically increased because everything like pushing updates about speakers, agenda topics, real-time feedback, or even tracking of delegates and their interests in topics and sessions, is all done through the help of advanced technology like mobile applications, QR codes, RFID tags, beacons, etc.
Thus, the use of innovative technology in communicating with delegates and in managing events has become the need of the hour.
5. Mention the merits of hiring an experiential communication agency over an event planner.
The event management industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade or so. Events are no longer just a visual extravaganza like weddings, concerts or parties that are organised by corporates for their customers but have become either brand building exercises or revenue generators for most corporates.
Events are now an integral part of any client’s marketing mix. Thus, events must be designed based on the brands positioning and marketing strategy of clients and their brands.
To ensure that this is done correctly, one needs to hire an experiential communication agency over just another event management company.
The experiential communication agency not only plan the execution of the event but also ensure that the on-ground, design, communication, and execution are in line with the brand for which the event is being drafted.
This is much different from what an event planner would be doing, which would only be to organise a flawless event.